Bayern coach Kompany confident Kane will be ready to face ‘tough’ Celtic
Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane skipped training but manager Vincent Kompany dismissed worries of a major setback and remained confident he would be fit for Tuesday’s Champions League knockout second leg showdown against Celtic at the Allianz Arena.
The six-time European winners put themselves in control by grabbing a 2-1 win over Celtic in the first match in Glasgow last Wednesday.
The 31-year-old England skipper, who has netted 29 goals and delivered 10 assists in 30 games across all tournaments for the German side this season, picked up a facial injury in their 0-0 Bundesliga tie at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
“It’s nothing serious for Harry, but we have very little time to rest. Sometimes you need an extra day, but we’ll check how Harry feels in the morning. I believe it’s nothing serious,” Kompany told journalists on Monday.
Kompany expects a tricky contest against Celtic, who lead the Scottish Premiership.
“Tomorrow will be a key match for us and the whole squad. We are very solid at home. I have watched plenty of Celtic’s matches – they have performed strongly in the Champions League so far and are always a threat,” the Belgian stated.
“We won at Celtic Park and then earned a valuable point in Leverkusen. It’s a great chance to put in another solid performance in these six days, which have been hectic. When the results are good, you get that extra boost, and that should push us tomorrow.”
On Saturday, Bayern had to withstand intense pressure from title rivals and second-placed Leverkusen to hold onto a draw in their top-of-the-table Bundesliga encounter and maintain their eight-point lead at the top.
“We have never been in a match like what happened against Leverkusen, where we had to defend so much. It was a useful lesson – something like that was bound to happen at some stage… We can use that experience in the next games,” attacking playmaker Jamal Musiala commented.
“The energy in the squad is upbeat. We didn’t have our best performance in Leverkusen – and still avoided defeat, which is a good sign for the whole group. There is plenty we can improve, but the teamwork, the fight, and the determination to keep a clean sheet are all things we need if we aim to go far.
“It won’t be a simple match (against Celtic). We saw how tough it was in Glasgow. We have to get ready properly, make sure we are sharp and mentally focused. We need to give 100%, stay aggressive, and start strong from the first whistle – and we hope to get the win,” he added.