Franz Beckenbauer says Bayern Munich need Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery
Bayern Munich’s honorary president Franz Beckenbauer has bemoaned the fact that the German giants are having to cope without Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery due to injuries.
The star wingers have been on the sidelines for the bulk of the season and Bayern have suffered as a result. The defending Bundesliga champions have picked up just 16 points from 11 games to leave themselves sitting in ninth place in the table.
Beckenbauer, who won four league titles as a player and one as manager of the club, said that the team were not nearly as good without Dutchman Robben and France international Ribery.
He told Sky Deutschland that: "Without Ribery and Robben, I would say that we are not average because it is still a good team, but it is not an excellent one. The team is just not stable. There is no harmony in the team."
Ribery set for return to action
Robben, who is suffering from a hamstring tear, is expected to be out until January, while Ribery — who picked up an ankle injury in the 2-1 win over Hoffenheim on 21 September — is set for an imminent return to action.
Meanwhile, Beckenbauer added that he was not too concerned that Bayern are behind teams such as Mainz, Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Nurnberg in the Bundesliga standings. However, he conceded that it would be difficult to make up the ground lost to Bayer
Leverkusen — who have 21 points — and league leaders Borussia Dortmund, who have 28 points.
He said that: "Leverkusen have a great deal of potential. They are currently seven points behind Dortmund, who are sure to drop points along the way. Dortmund are on an excellent run and they are making good use of it.
"They cannot lose the points they have gained and they are heading in the right direction, but I expect Leverkusen to keep up with them."
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