Kompany suggests Kane could return from injury before year-end

Vincent Kompany, manager of Bayern Munich, has indicated that Harry Kane, the club’s leading goalscorer in the German Bundesliga, might be able to play again this year. This comes despite the England captain having limped off the field during Saturday’s Bundesliga draw against Borussia Dortmund. Kane is set to miss Tuesday’s German Cup fixture against the current holders, Bayer Leverkusen. However, Kompany remains optimistic about the striker’s potential return to action before the winter break commences on December 22. On Monday, Kompany stated, “There’s a chance he’ll play again this year but he’ll definitely miss a few games.” The 31-year-old Kane has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, having scored 20 goals in 19 appearances across all competitions. Kompany also expressed confidence in his squad’s depth to manage Kane’s absence. The Belgian manager elaborated, stating, “You cannot replace the goals or the player one-for-one – that’s why he is a top player.” He continued, “We have talent in the team and need to solve it differently. We have many options. Thomas Muller, Mathys Tel, Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise, Leroy Sane. I have named almost everyone. Obviously, Harry has scored 20 goals but we have other players who score goals, including Jamal Musiala. We have enough players who can fulfil the role, even if you can’t replace his goals one-to-one.” Bayern’s recent record in the German Cup has seen them fail to reach the semi-finals since their last triumph in the competition in 2020. They have been eliminated in the second round in three of the past four seasons and are now set to face a Leverkusen side that achieved a league and cup double last season. Kompany concluded, “We play the cup holders – one of the top two or three teams in Germany – and I hope our performance will match the importance of the game.”