Union Berlin will be without key defender Josip Juranovic for their Bundesliga match away to Bayern Munich on Friday evening. The injury to the 31-year-old comes at a time when the team is struggling with poor defensive performances.
Head coach Mauro Lustrinelli, 50, confirmed the absence. "One solution is certainly that Trimmi can start the game," Lustrinelli said. He did not want to reveal his other plans yet. Captain Christopher Trimmel, 39, has played only 32 minutes combined in the cup and league this season. Under former coach Steffen Baumgart he was a regular starter but was often substituted early. It is uncertain whether he can last the full 90 minutes against Bayern.
If Trimmel cannot play the entire match, Union would have to resort to experiments. One candidate is 26-year-old Kastriot Imeri, who is likely fit enough to travel to Munich. Imeri could make his debut for the club under Lustrinelli. There are no other established right-backs in the squad.
The personnel issue comes at an inconvenient time. Union have shown desolate defensive displays in their first three league matches and have lost their last two Bundesliga games in a row. Their most recent match was a 1-3 home defeat to FC Schalke 04. This season's overall tally shows 33 goals scored but a concerning 50 conceded. The next challenge after Bayern is a home game against fourth-placed RB Leipzig on November 21st. The current injury list featuring players like Robert Skov and Lucas Tousart is lengthy overview. The full schedule for the coming weeks can be found on our fixtures page.
The defensive issues are the core problem for a team that finished 11th in the Bundesliga last season. Against record champions Bayern Munich, whom Union trail by 44 points in the standings, a solid back line is even more critical. Lustrinelli now has to find a working solution for the right flank before the team heads into the international break. The team has averaged 90 goal minutes per game in their last three matches, a figure well below their own seasonal targets. Their recent form shows just one point taken from the last four league games.
The report in full is at Bild Sport
