Julian Nagelsmann has admitted that he doesn't know why Leroy Sane isn't playing well for Bayern Munich at the moment.
Sane made his 40th appearance of the season for Bayern against Augsburg on Saturday, but came off for Kingsley Coman in the 65th minute after failing to make an impact on the game.
The reigning Bundesliga champions went on to win 1-0 thanks to a late Robert Lewandowski penalty, and Nagelsmann offered his thoughts on Sane's recent form after the final whistle.
What's been said?
The Bayern boss feels the 26-year-old winger is going through a period of inconsistency that has been typical of his career so far, but he still has full faith in his abilities.
"I like Leroy very much, as a person and as a player. Everyone knows that he has incredible qualities," Nagelsmann told GOAL and SPOX.
"He is self-critical enough and knows himself that he hasn't recently played well. I don't know exactly why.
"He's had ups and downs throughout his career. I support him completely."
Sane was visibly frustrated after being substituted and seemed to shake Nagelsmann's hand half-heartedly before heading to the bench, but the German coach won't be dwelling on his reaction.
"I'm not angry, we don't have to make a headline out of it," he added.
Sane's record in 2021-22
Sane has been a key part of Nagelsmann's plans since he was drafted in to replace Hansi Flick in the managerial hot seat at Allianz Arena last summer.
The former Manchester City star has recorded an impressive 14 goals and 15 assists so far this season, but has now gone five without a goal contribution in the Bundesliga.
Bayern fans will hope that Sane can rediscover his best form when they play host to Villarreal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, with the Spanish side 1-0 up on aggregate after the first leg.
