Tensions at Bayern Munich between coach Hansi Flick and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic are providing an unwelcome distraction which threatens to derail the holders ahead of their crunch Champions League quarter-final return leg at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
Bayern must overturn a 3-2 first-leg defeat with an injury-hit squad missing injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski.
The Bavarian giants have nine players sidelined by injury, suspension or, in the case of Germany winger Serge Gnabry, quarantined by Covid-19.
Flick resorted to fielding two reserve team players in Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Union Berlin.
Kingsley Coman picked up a leg knock and although Flick is hopeful the French winger can recover to face his former club, both midfielder Leon Goretzka and defender Niklas Suele are struggling.
“We are top of the Bundesliga and have a chance to reach the Champions League semi-finals, that’s my responsibility – everything else is not my thing,” Flick insisted Saturday.