Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany finds himself without his three first-choice goalkeepers for the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atalanta this week.
The crisis, which began with the absence of Manuel Neuer and Jonas Orbig last week, has worsened with the news that third-choice goalkeeper Sven Ulreich suffered a torn right adductor muscle during Bayern’s 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.
With the Champions League round of 16 second leg approaching on Wednesday, March 18, all eyes are on who will guard the net for the Bundesliga champions, given the current absence of all three first-team goalkeepers.
While Neuer and Ulreich are confirmed out, Orbig’s participation against the Italian side remains uncertain.
If Orbig is indeed unable to play, Kompany will have to call upon a goalkeeper from the youth team to fill the gap.
The leading candidate is the goalkeeper who appeared on the bench against Leverkusen: 16-year-old Leonard Prescott. If he starts against Atalanta, the American-born goalkeeper will become the youngest goalkeeper in the club’s history and the second youngest player to ever represent the team, behind only Paul Fanner.
If Kompany wants a goalkeeper with slightly more experience than Prescott, he might turn to Yannis Bartl; the 19-year-old regularly features for the reserve team.
