BERLIN: Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich must reshuffle their starting side — with five players in quarantine — before hosting struggling Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday in a final tune-up ahead of their top-of-the-table clash at Dortmund.
Bielefeld earned a 3-3 draw when the clubs met in Munich last February and have picked up four points from their last two league games.
Yet even with a host of stars sidelined, Bayern head coach Julian Nageslmann still has plenty of talent available against second-from-bottom Bielefeld.
“We are concentrating on the players who are there — the four World Cup winners and nine Champions League winners,” Bielefeld coach Frank Kramer quipped drily.
Bayern are missing midfielder Joshua Kimmich and back-up striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who also miss next weekend’s clash at second-placed Dortmund after both tested positive for Covid-19.
Midfielders Michael Cuisance, Serge Gabry and Jamal Musiala are also quarantining at home as contact cases, but defenders Niklas Suele and Josip Stanisic returned to training on Wednesday after previously testing positive.
A shock defeat at Augsburg trimmed Bayern’s lead in the table to just a single point ahead of Dortmund.
Record numbers of coronavirus cases in Germany this week means a tightening of hygiene rules at Bundesliga stadiums.
Bayern’s Allianz Arena will be at 25 percent capacity — up to 18,745 — on Saturday.
There will be reduced capacity at all grounds, apart from RB Leipzig, who must play behind closed doors against Leverkusen on Sunday due to restrictions in Saxony.
A crowd of 13,000 is expected at Wolfsburg, who host a Dortmund side licking their wounds after their mid-week Champions League exit.
A 3-1 loss at Sporting Lisbon was Dortmund’s third straight European defeat, blocking their route to the knock-out stages and consigning them to the Europa League.
Failing to reach the Champions League’s last 16 will cost Dortmund around 9.5 million euros ($11 million).
“It’s not only a setback financially, but it also hurts from a sporting perspective and image,” said sports director Michael Zorc.
Dortmund still have star forward Erling Braut Haaland sidelined by a hip injury, but hope Youssoufa Moukoko, 17, can return after missing nine of their last ten games with knocks.
Belgium winger Thorgan Hazard is out after testing positive for Covid last Monday.
Fresh from thrashing Brugge 5-0 in the Champions League, RB Leipzig can break into the top six with a home win Sunday against fourth-placed Leverkusen.
Leipzig are missing Spanish playmaker Dani Olmo, 23, who tore a thigh muscle last weekend, a latest injury setback for the Spain midfielder who has been blighted by knocks since playing in both this summer’s Euro 2020 finals and Tokyo Olympics.
Leizpig’s erratic form this season has not affected the 24-year-old whose 13 goals and 11 assists means he must soon be knocking on the door of selection for France.
Usually a winger, Nkunku, 24, shone with two goals and an assist in the thrashing of Brugge after moving across to attacking midfield.
Covid cases force Nagelsmann into a reshuffle at Bayern Munich
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Covid cases force Nagelsmann into a reshuffle at Bayern Munich
- Bayern head coach Julian Nageslmann still has plenty of talent available against second-from-bottom Bielefeld
- Midfielders Michael Cuisance, Serge Gabry and Jamal Musiala are quarantining as contact cases but defenders Niklas Suele and Josip Stanisic returned to training
World No. 5 Elena Rybakina to headline strong field at 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
- The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins defending champion Belinda Bencic and Spanish favorite Paula Badosa for the event from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7
- Rising stars Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala continue breakthrough journeys at WTA 500 platform
ABU DHABI: One of the strongest fields in its history has been unveiled for this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion and world No. 5 Elena Rybakina will head an exciting line-up featuring Grand Slam winners, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting rising stars when the WTA 500 tournament returns to the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7.
The Kazakh powerhouse, who won the tournament in 2024, has established herself as one of the game’s elite competitors. Since her triumph at Wimbledon, she has reached the 2023 Australian Open final and secured multiple WTA 500 and 1000 titles, including the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh where she brushed aside World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
“I really enjoyed my time in Abu Dhabi last year,” said Rybakina, who was defeated in the semi-finals by Bencic. “The city’s support for tennis is amazing, and reaching the semifinals was a solid way to begin 2025. This year, I’m coming back with the goal of going all the way again. The competition will be fierce, but that’s what makes it exciting.”
Rybakina will be joined by Belinda Bencic, who returns to defend her unbeaten record at the event. The Swiss Olympic gold medalist has lifted the trophy in both 2023 and 2025 and remains the only player never to have lost a match at the tournament.
Spanish favorite Paula Badosa adds further depth to the elite contingent. A former world No. 2 and Indian Wells champion, Badosa brings explosive power and fierce competitiveness to a field that promises compelling matches throughout the week.
The tournament’s commitment to the next generation is underlined by the confirmation of two of 2025’s most compelling breakthrough stars. Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko, who rocketed from outside the world’s top 300 at the start of 2025 to inside the top 20 following titles in Montreal and Hong Kong, continues her remarkable rise on the WTA Tour.
Joining her is Filipina star Alexandra Eala, who returns to Abu Dhabi following her 2024 debut. The 20-year-old former US Open girls’ champion has continued her steady climb through the rankings and remains the highest-ranked Filipino player in tour history.
Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova, a multiple Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, and Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, bring proven track records while American rising star Emma Navarro, Denmark’s Clara Tauson and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez — the 2023 French Open finalist — add further depth to an already formidable lineup.
The field also features former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who captured the 2025 doubles title in Abu Dhabi alongside Ellen Perez. Chinese star Qinwen Zheng, Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin round out a top 20 that promises world-class tennis from the opening qualifiers through to the championship weekend.
Further elite talent includes Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova, Belgium’s Elise Mertens, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, American McCartney Kessler and Australian Maya Joint.
Nigel Gupta, MARI tournament director, said: “The 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open field represents everything this tournament has become — a compelling blend of Grand Slam champions, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting emerging talent. Elena Rybakina’s arrival as our top seed adds tremendous star power, while Belinda’s pursuit of a third title and the inclusion of breakthrough stars like Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala demonstrate our commitment to showcasing both today’s champions and tomorrow’s legends. This is shaping up to be our strongest edition yet.”
