VfB Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich: Lineups are out! Sane and Upa rested, Musiala and Roca start!

One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! Lots of rotation from Nagelsmann today. Leroy Sane and Dayot Upamecano finally get some rest, while Marc Roca gets his first Bundesliga start in some time for Bayern Munich. Jamal Musiala is going to play with a broken hand.

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It’s the penultimate game of the Hinrunde, and Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga by six points. With Borussia Dortmund very unlikely to drop points against Greuther Furth, Julian Nagelsmann will want a win against Stuttgart to preserve his lead heading into the winter break. But he has one big problem — Bayern have no midfielders.

Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso are both injured. Marcel Sabitzer just got back from a long calf injury and is doubtful for the game. Jamal Musiala broke a metatarsal bone (in the hand) and might not be able to play. Finally, Joshua Kimmich is also out recovering from his Covid-19 infection.

So where does that leave Nagelsmann? Well, he’ll have to conjure something out of a hat at this point. Marc Roca may be an option for the midfield, or one of the doubtful players could pull through and start. Still, it’ll be far from optimal, so the coach will be relying on his stars at other positions — guys like Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, and Leroy Sane — to get the job done.

It’s Bayern time.

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While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out our preview podcast? This week, we combined it with our Champions League draw reaction. Check it out below or at this link.

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Match Info

Location: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany

Time: 6:30 pm local time, 12:30 pm EST

TV/streaming: ESPN+, Find Your Country

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