Bayern Munich are heading into Wednesday’s Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atalanta without a senior goalkeeper to their name, after all four of their recognised options were ruled out in the space of a week.
The situation leaves head coach Vincent Kompany facing one of the strangest selection dilemmas in modern football history.
As revealed by Bundesliga.com, the crisis began when captain Manuel Neuer suffered a second muscle fibre tear in his left calf in an injury that had first occurred during Bayern’s 4-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
His replacement for the first leg in Bergamo was 22-year-old Jonas Urbig, and Bayern ran riot, winning 6-1 in a dominant display.
However, the evening turned dark late in the game when Urbig took a knock to the head and was diagnosed with ca oncussion shortly after.
Third-choice Sven Ulreich was next in line, playing the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen.
He did not come through unscathed, sustaining a muscle bundle tear in his right adductor that will keep him out for six weeks.
Reports also indicate that fourth-choice Leon Klanac has been sidelined with a separate thigh injury, leaving Kompany with no senior keeper available for the Atalanta second leg.
For Wednesday, it is understood that the most likely candidate is 16-year-old Leonard Prescott.
The German-American teenager has been on the bench for both the first leg in Bergamo and Saturday’s Leverkusen game, and is eligible for the Champions League knockout rounds.
Should he start, he would become the youngest goalkeeper and the second-youngest player ever to appear for Bayern, behind only Paul Wanner. Nineteen-year-old Jannis Bartl is the other option being discussed inside the club.
There is still a chance Urbig beats the odds and recovers in time. He told reporters after the Leverkusen game that he thought Urbig was on the right track, and the club are waiting on further tests before making a final decision.
Bayern lead 6-1 from the first leg, so the stakes are not quite what they normally would be, but handing a Champions League start to a 16-year-old with no senior experience remains an extraordinary situation for a club like Bayern Munich.
