Bayern face anxious Van Buyten wait
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Article summary
Miroslav Klose said losing Daniel Van Buyten to a calf injury was "a bitter blow" for FC Bayern München, with the defender facing a race to be fit for their first knockout round decider against ACF Fiorentina.
Article top media content
Article body
Central defender Daniel Van Buyten is unlikely to feature in the second leg of FC Bayern München's first knockout round tie against ACF Fiorentina after tearing a calf muscle in Wednesday's opener.
The Belgian international was replaced by Diego Contento at half-time, as Bayern went on to win the game 2-1. Head coach Louis van Gaal did not know for how long the 32-year-old would be out of action, but said: "He will definitely not be available against Nürnberg [this weekend] and might not be able to play Hamburger SV a week later."
The UEFA Champions League tie concludes in Florence on 9 March, with Holger Badstuber likely to move across into the central defence in the event that Van Buyten does not recover. Goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt said: "He has done so before in the first months of this season, so this is a good solution." Miroslav Klose added that losing Van Buyten was "a bitter blow".
