'Not rotation [but] competition' - Joshua Kimmich on recent Bayern Munich benchings

"I'm someone who likes being on the pitch every three days,"

"It's special to be part of this team. The coach also told us: It's not rotation, it's competition. A very healthy competition, I think. The players sitting on the bench don't hope that their competitors play badly. Instead, they simply try to play a bit better themselves when they get a chance. It's all for the good of the team - and it's really fun."

"Kimmich started at Frankfurt and in the midweek at Pafos but before that had two straight Bundesliga games on the bench, against Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen."

Joshua Kimmich is being given opportunities to rest before a heavier fixture list while remaining a central figure in Bayern's midfield. Vincent Kompany has described team selection not as rotation but as competition, encouraging bench players to push starters by improving when given chances. Kimmich expressed a personal preference for playing every three days but described being part of the team as special. Kimmich recently started against Eintracht Frankfurt and in midweek at Pafos after two consecutive Bundesliga matches on the bench. Younger midfielders Aleksandar Pavlović and Tom Bischof are providing additional depth and competition in the engine room.

Read at Bavarian Football Works