Injured trio add to Bayern worries
BERLIN, Germany -- Bayern Munich's bid to avoid a third consecutive defeat this weekend has taken a knock after playmaker Michael Ballack as well as Brazilians Lucio and Ze Roberto had to withdraw from training.
Ballack pulled up with an ankle problem, while defender Lucio, with an injured knee, and midfielder Ze Roberto, with strained muscles, missed training entirely, seeking medical attention instead.
All three will be absent from Saturday's squad to face Hansa Rostock.
Bayern said in a statement that the club would have nine players missing for the trip to Germany's Baltic Sea coast.
They include Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro (back), defender Tobias Rau, who injured his ankle on Thursday, and recovering strikers Roque Santa Cruz and Alexander Zickler.
Bayern will also be without Sebastian Deisler who was readmitted to the clinic that treated him for depression a year ago, although the club are optimistic he can resume training next week.
However, on the positive side, midfielder Mehmet Scholl is likely to be available for the first time in weeks.
Bayern travel to Rostock on the back of two 1-0 defeats, in the league at home last week to Schalke and in the Champions League on Tuesday at Juventus.
Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn complained in an interview in Bild newspaper that some of his team mates were mentally weak.
"Some cannot seem to handle the pressure," he said, adding Bayern were now in an "extremely precarious" position.
"It's striking that we have one or two good games. Then we're back in the old rut. It's really frustrating."
Bayern are fourth in the Bundesliga, six points off the top, and second in their Champions League group after the defeat by Juventus.
