Noussair Mazraoui would have returned to the place of the biggest successes of his career so far. The defender played for Morocco five times at the World Cup in Qatar and was an important part of the tournament’s surprise squad. But he was not on board the plane that took the FC Bayern team to the training camp in Doha on Friday morning, around three weeks after the World Cup.
Mazraoui not only experienced a successful, but also a grueling World Cup: the 25-year-old was substituted off injured in the first game against Croatia and was back on the pitch in the second. He was then missing in the 1-0 quarter-final against Portugal – because of a positive corona test, as is now known. In the semi-final against France (0:2) he ran again, but apparently he hadn’t fully recovered. During an examination in Munich, “a mild inflammation of the pericardium” was found, FC Bayern announced on Friday after departure. Mazraoui should now cure them, for the time being indefinitely. He is “initially” not available, it said in the message.
From FC Bayern’s point of view, a transfer announced the day before seems even more urgent: Bayern signed Dutchman Daley Blind for half a year as a supplement to the left-hand side of defense or central defence. Frenchman Lucas Hernández, who can play in those two positions, tore his cruciate ligament during the World Cup.
Mazraoui, who moved from Ajax Amsterdam to Munich last summer, like now Blind, had previously been used as a right-back at Bayern Munich. For Morocco, however, he played on the left because Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain was seeded on the right. According to impressions from Qatar, Mazraoui could also have been considered as a possible replacement for left-back Alphonso Davies. This is all the more so for the 32-year-old blind, who was the regular left-back for the Netherlands at the World Cup. “A fortunate circumstance. We have found a good solution,” said sports director Hasan Salihamidzic on Sky.
Pavard is probably a regular right-back again against his will
However, Mazraoui’s absence means that FC Bayern will be without a regular right-back before the season starts again. After a few adjustment difficulties at the start of the season shortly before the World Cup in the Bundesliga, the Moroccan mostly played from the start instead of Benjamin Pavard. And the Frenchman is one of those Munich players with a disappointing World Cup experience: he only played in the first game in Qatar, was publicly criticized for his form by coach Didier Deschamps and was only on the bench in all other games, including the lost final.
Pavard also did not fly with the team to Doha on Friday, but that was not for health reasons. Like the French internationals Dayot Upamecano and Kingsley Coman, who have been at FC Bayern at the World Cup longer than anyone else, the 26-year-old had a little longer vacation and will only meet his colleagues in Qatar. In addition, Marcel Sabitzer did not fly because of the flu.
Shortly before the World Cup, Pavard had spoken in several interviews about a possible change of club. His contract in Munich is only valid until the summer of 2024, he would like to be a central defender at a top international club. In Munich he is now the most important player in the squad in his unloved second position on the right back.
