Bayern Munich to make late Harry Kane call ahead of Aston Villa clash
Bayern Munich are preparing to make a late call on Harry Kane as the England captain battles to be fit for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Villa.
Kane, who suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen, returned to training on Tuesday and has travelled with the rest of the Bayern squad to Birmingham.
But Bayern boss Vincent Kompany stopped short of confirming he would be ready to face Villa.
“I think you have seen Harry was on the pitch today and that went well,” he said.
“But we will still have to wait until tomorrow and see how the situation is and then we will make the correct decision.
“He trained with us today and hopefully everything will work out fine.”
Bayern are Champions League regulars, where this is Villa’s first season in Europe’s top club competition for 41 years.
But it is a different story in the dugout, where Emery is taking charge of his 188th European tie and Kompany just his second.
The Belgian’s most recent visit to Villa Park was with Burnley last December, where a stoppage time Douglas Luiz penalty condemned his team to a 3-2 defeat.
Kompany, relegated from the Premier League with the Clarets in May, was then a shock choice to take charge at Bayern.
He said: “Everyone has to start with game one, two or three, even Unai Emery.
“You can’t buy experience and if not you have to compensate with your experiences in life, which for me includes many, many matches in this stadium and everywhere else.
“The biggest thing is it remains a game between the players and the teams and the clubs.
“We have World Cup winners in the team, Champions League winners. The collective
“We have to embrace this game as much as Aston Villa does. It is a special game for us as well. The club is used to playing these kind of nights but the talking is always done on the pitch.”
Kompany insisted he is returning to the UK with nothing to prove and it is the same for Serge Gnabry, who is back in the Midlands for the first time since a miserable six month loan spell at Albion in the 2015-16 season.
The 29-year-old winger, since capped 45 times by Germany, made just one substitute appearance in the Premier League for the Baggies after joining from Arsenal.
“I was a young kid when I played for Arsenal, then I came here and didn’t play much,” he said.
“I met good people at West Brom and a bad time always makes you more hungry and more motivated.
“It was nothing personal. I was just unhappy I did not get to play. Afterwards and during that time I worked very hard.
“At the end of the day it is the coach’s decision. I have learned to be consistent and go through a bad time.”
