João Palhinha will be sidelined for three weeks due to an injury, leaving a gap in Bayern Munich’s midfield. Meanwhile, former Borussia Dortmund defender Ömer Toprak has announced his retirement after a successful 16-year career. On a different note, Bayern’s Kim Min-jae, who joined the club in 2023, is currently fulfilling his military service obligations in South Korea while continuing to play for the Rekordmeister.
João Palhinha Sidelined With an Injury for Three Weeks
Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha has sustained an adductor injury and is expected to be out for approximately three weeks, as reported by Sky Germany.
This was the outcome following an initial assessment while playing for the Portuguese national team on international assignment.
Palhinha now faces the possibility of missing key matches for Bayern, including their Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, a Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund, and a DFB Pokal tie with Bayer Leverkusen.
The 29-year-old will depart from the national team and will not participate in their Nations League games against Poland and Croatia.
Leon Goretzka could be given the opportunity to replace Palhinha in the upcoming matches, having struggled for regular playing time this season.
Goretzka has featured in only five Bundesliga matches this season and has yet to play a full 90 minutes under Vincent Kompany.
Ömer Toprak, Former Borussia Dortmund Defender, Retires
Ömer Toprak, the former Borussia Dortmund center-back, has announced his retirement after a 16-year professional playing career.
Ömer Toprak spent three years at Borussia Dortmund, one of four Bundesliga clubs he played for during his career. At 35, the former Türkiye international has chosen to retire.
Toprak, who most recently played for Turkish club Antalyaspor, shared his retirement announcement on Instagram, expressing pride in having fulfilled his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
“Proud to have lived my dream” – Ömer Toprak calls time on playing career
“After 16 years, I’m ending my career with a smile and a tear in my eye,” Toprak wrote. “There were many victories and many defeats. So many friendships have been made along the way. I’m infinitely grateful for that. I am proud to have lived my dream and I am enormously grateful to football, my clubs, my teammates and fans for everything.”
Toprak started his career at SC Freiburg before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 2011. After six years at Leverkusen, he transferred to Borussia Dortmund.
The defender made 51 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, contributing to their DFL-Supercup victory in 2019. However, injuries limited his time on the pitch, and in 2019, he moved to Werder Bremen on a loan deal.
Looking back on his time at Borussia Dortmund, Toprak shared, “The yellow wall, goosebumps in the greatest stadium in the Bundesliga, maybe even in the world.”
Ömer Toprak accumulated 263 Bundesliga appearances and featured in 39 UEFA Champions League matches.
Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-Jae Starts Military Service
Bayern Munich and South Korean defender Kim Min-Jae are currently finishing the second phase of his military service in Munich.
The 27-year-old has finished the majority of his mandatory military service, which lasts 450 hours instead of the usual 18 months, due to his status as a top athlete.
Kim completed three weeks of service in South Korea and has just 100 hours remaining.
Since the central defender, who joined Bayern Munich in 2023, lives far from South Korea, Kim is able to fulfill his service requirements from Munich.
Kim is currently dedicating 1-2 hours each week to speaking with schools and youth groups in South Korea, covering topics such as the discipline required to become a top footballer.
After his €50m transfer from Napoli in 2023, Kim initially faced some challenges but has since become a key figure in Vincent Kompany’s squad, partnering with Dayot Upamecano following Matthijs de Ligt’s departure.
Kim has featured in 16 matches across all competitions for the Rekordmeister this season.
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