Serge Gnabry says he is “very much looking forward” to facing former club Arsenal when Bayern Munich host them in the third round of the Champions League group stage.
The Bayern forward joined Arsenal at the age of 16 and spent several years at the club before beginning his professional career elsewhere. He played against them at Emirates Stadium in their previous meeting and is now eager to face them in front of Bayern’s home supporters.
“Playing against my old club is always a special game for me,” Gnabry said. “I spent many years there and grew up there, so I am obviously very much looking forward to this match.”
The 30-year-old has only recently returned from a longer-than-expected injury absence and has been coming off the bench for Bayern. He also captained Germany during the international break.
“I’m incredibly happy to be back with the team and playing again,” he said. “I’m happy for every opportunity I get. My mindset is very relaxed and I’m looking forward to every minute on the field.”
Gnabry added that he still needs more match time to rediscover his best rhythm, but said his priority was remaining fit.
“It really takes time and match experience to get back into rhythm,” he said. “Getting playing time and increasing minutes on the field is the most crucial thing. The most important thing is that the injury doesn’t flare up again. As long as I stay healthy, everything else will naturally fall into place.”
He declined to reveal whether he would start against Arsenal or whether Bayern manager Vincent Kompany would use him as a number 10 or on the wing.
Michael Olise is suspended after being sent off, while Jamal Musiala is unavailable because of injury. Gnabry said Bayern would need to wait before deciding on their exact line-up and structure.
“Olise is an extremely good player and his absence will have an impact,” he said. “However, we are a collective team. Injuries or absences always occur in football, and our squad depth and quality are excellent.”
Kompany will not be on the touchline, with assistant coach Aaron Danks taking charge of the specific coaching duties. Gnabry said Bayern’s preparation had remained unchanged.
“The entire preparation process and daily routine are exactly the same,” he said. “We have an extremely good coaching staff. The last time the head coach wasn’t on the sidelines was in Paris, and essentially nothing changed.”
Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta was once Gnabry’s team-mate. The Bayern player praised the progress made by his former club, who he said won the title last season, but insisted Bayern wanted to win the contest.
“It’s always a bit strange when you play against a team whose coach was your former team-mate,” Gnabry said. “He is doing a really good job. Arsenal have made huge progress, so it will be a tough battle. We want to overpower them and get the victory.”
