Bayern Munich‘s World Cup representatives have begun returning to the club as Vincent Kompany’s squad gathers for the new Bundesliga campaign. Club captain Manuel Neuer and vice-captain Joshua Kimmich are among the Germany internationals who reported for performance tests on Sunday ahead of the team’s training camp in Tegernsee.
The players are undergoing medical assessments at the club’s facilities before travelling to the Bavarian lake district for a four-day camp. Midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović was among the first to arrive for testing on Sunday morning to begin the pre-season programme.
Not all of Bayern’s international contingent have returned to duty, however. Forward Harry Kane and winger Michael Olise remain absent on extended leave after reaching the latter stages of the tournament with England and France respectively. The attacking pair will rejoin the group once their vacation period concludes.
The squad will soon include Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, who is set to complete a permanent transfer from Gambinos Stars for a fee understood to be between €3 million and €4 million. The defender will undergo tests alongside the returning World Cup players before linking up with the squad in Tegernsee.
Meanwhile, the futures of two further international defenders remain unresolved. Centre-back Kim Min-jae and full-back Hiroki Itō, who both featured at the World Cup, could still depart the Allianz Arena this summer despite reporting for pre-season duty.
Upcoming fixtures
Bayern’s preparations continue with a friendly match against amateur side FC Rottach-Egern on Thursday. The fixture follows the Tegernsee camp and comes after Kompany’s side opened their pre-season schedule with a defeat to second-tier Wehen Wiesbaden on Saturday.
The German champions have enjoyed prolific success against Thursday’s opponents in previous meetings, having found the net 64 times across their last three encounters with the eighth-tier Bavarian club.