It seems that there is not much time left for the Korean and Japanese centerback duo to work together in Bayern Munich.
Munich announced on its website on the 9th (Korea Standard Time) that “the two Munich players went one step further to return. Hiroki Ito underwent training again on Monday morning after suffering a fractured metatarsal bone. Sasha Boy made a few laps around the training ground for the first time since suffering a ruptured meniscus.”
Hiroki, born in 1999, is a left-footed center back from Japan. Hiroki made his first European debut in the 2021-22 season when he moved from Jubilo Iwata to VfB Stuttgart in the Japanese J-League. Hiroki’s strengths have paid off since the first season. Based on his soft foot technique, he is good at building up with his left foot. He alternates between short and long passes, serving as a focal point for offensive development.
He has become Stuttgart’s main center back without difficulty. Since his first season, Hiroki has solidified his position by playing in 31 official games. He then became a representative defender of Stuttgart, appearing in 37 games in the 2022-23 season and 29 games in the 2023-24 season. He was criticized for his unstable defense by making occasional mistakes in the early days of his transfer, but gradually gained experience and gained more stability.
Munich recruited Hiroki ahead of this season. Since Vincent Kompany took over, Munich has been eager to strengthen its defense. This is because Kim Min-jae and Dayo Upamecano often made fatal mistakes last season as they entered the second half of the season. Munich pushed to recruit Hiroki as soon as the transfer window opened, and quickly embraced him.
However, he faced a crisis even before the start of the season. Hiroki suffered a serious injury while playing a friendly match. The injury was serious, and he was expected to be absent for two to three months. In the end, Kompany spent the pre-season without Hiroki, and utilized the combination of Kim Min-jae and Dayo Upamecano center backs. Kompany started the two players in all games after the opening match. However, recently, news spread that Upamecano was injured and he will be out for three to four weeks.
Under such circumstances, news of Ito’s training was reported. Bayern Munich posted on its website on Monday, “Hiroki completed his first running session on Friday at the Munich Training Center after suffering a fractured metatarsal bone in July. The Japanese national team has taken the next steps toward his return.” After rehabbing after completing his running training, Ito has even completed his training to handle the ball.
German media “Merker” reported that Ito will soon be able to return to team training. “In a personalized training program tailored to his current rehabilitation status, Ito has shown good performance. In addition to light ball workouts, he performed long sprints without much difficulty. This gives hope that he will be able to return to team training soon.” 메이저놀이터
It is still too early to predict the exact date of his return. However, he has time to recover during the A-match in October, and Upamecano is also expected to be absent for a month. Locally, Eric Dier is expected to replace his vacancy. However, as he has repeatedly rehabilitated and trained, it can be seen that Ito’s return is imminent. In addition, Vincent Kompany, who utilizes a high defensive line, does not prefer Dier, who is slow to focus. If Ito returns, chances are high that he will see a Korean-Japanese centerback duo led by Kim Min-jae and Ito.