“Wir haben bis zum letzten Augenblick gewartet, damit wir sicher sind, welche Spieler die Energie haben,” said FC Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany regarding the late fitness tests of his squad before kickoff in Norway.
FC Bayern midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović missed out on the starting lineup for the club’s UEFA Champions League fixture against Viking Stavanger due to fitness issues, SPORT1 reported. Despite being named to the substitutes’ bench, the German international was deemed unable to play after pulling up with a minor physical complaint shortly before the match.
Late Fitness Tests Force Emergency Changes in Stavanger
Kompany explained to Prime Video that both Pavlović and veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer were evaluated until the final moments before the team sheet was finalized. Neuer missed the matchday squad entirely due to an issue with his foot that he first felt following the weekend Bundesliga draw against FC Augsburg, paving the way for 16-year-old David Podar-Stiube to make his maiden senior squad appearance and Jonas Urbig to start in goal, as detailed by Sport Bild.
Aleksandar Pavlović is under contract at FC Bayern until 2029 and earns around €8m gross per year. Despite Manchester City's concrete interest in the summer, Pavlović did not try to take advantage of that to renegotiate better terms with Bayern – which shows that he has a very… pic.twitter.com/pJsbtHUyWR
For Pavlović, who picked up his knock during training, the timing of the fixture proved too soon. Rather than risking further damage on the synthetic turf in Stavanger, the coaching staff placed him on the bench in an emergency capacity while drafting Tom Bischof into the starting midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich, according to Sport Bild reporting.
Fixture Congestion Drives Heavy Squad Rotation
The double setback compounded an already demanding schedule for the Bavarian side. Kompany made a total of six changes to his starting XI compared to the weekend domestic fixture, pointing directly to the short turnaround between matches as the primary driver behind his personnel choices.
“We felt like we were playing in Augsburg 48 hours ago, and this is now our second away match,” Kompany noted to SPORT1, describing his selection as a matter of pure squad energy management rather than tactical experimentation.
Surface Debate Mounts Over Artificial Pitches
The fixture in western Norway also thrust the broader debate surrounding playing surfaces back into the spotlight. As highlighted by sportschau.de, matches hosted by clubs such as Viking Stavanger and FK Bodø/Glimt present unique challenges for visiting continental giants accustomed exclusively to manicured natural grass.
While Kompany minimized surface concerns ahead of kickoff, analysts and former professionals cited by sportschau.de have frequently labeled international competition on artificial turf as a distinct sport that heavily favors hosting sides. Former Schalke 04 professional Simon Cziommer went as far as calling international artificial pitches an anomaly that borders on competitive distortion, comparing the surface conditions to historical warnings issued by former AS Roma manager José Mourinho.
Medical Outlook and Training Return
Despite the sudden disruption to the matchday plans, the club’s medical outlook remains optimistic. Kompany stated that neither Pavlović’s nor Neuer’s ailments are considered serious, with the technical staff targeting a return to group training by Thursday or Friday.
