Bayern Munich opened their pre-season preparations on Tuesday with a severely depleted first-team squad, as just six senior players reported for the initial session at Säbener Straße.
Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich and midfielder Tom Bischof were joined by four players returning from loan spells abroad. Arijon Ibrahimović, João Palhinha, Sacha Boey and Armindo Sieb all participated after concluding temporary moves at other clubs, offering manager Vincent Kompany limited but experienced options during the early training phase.
Youth contingent fills the void
With the majority of senior internationals still resting following summer tournaments, the Bavarian club relied heavily on academy talent to bolster training numbers. More than 35 youth players took part in the session, including U23 prospect Wisdom Mike and U19 midfielder Felipe Chávez.
U19 coach Leonhard Haas and newly-appointed Bayern II coach Dante were both present to oversee the young players integrated into the senior setup, ensuring technical standards remained high despite the absence of established stars.
Injury setbacks restrict options
However, several established names were forced to watch from the sidelines. Winger Serge Gnabry and midfielder Lennart Karl continued individual rehabilitation programmes after serious injuries ruled both players out of the recent World Cup. Neither is yet cleared for team training.
Winger Bryan Zaragoza was also absent, sitting out the session due to knee inflammation.
The limited senior presence reflects the immediate post-tournament recovery period, with most international regulars yet to begin their pre-season programmes. Bayern will hope for a swift return to fitness for their injured contingent as preparations intensify ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign.