Goretzka ´will continue to be important´ despite lack of playing time, Kompany insists

Vincent Kompany insists Leon Goretzka “will continue to be important” for Bayern Munich, despite his limited game time this season.

The Germany midfielder has fallen down the pecking order behind the likes of new signing Joao Palhinha, and played just 21 minutes this term.

Nine of those came on Tuesday, when he scored as a late substitute to complete his side’s 9-2 rout of Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener.

Though the 29-year-old has found opportunities hard to come by, Kompany maintains he is an integral part of Bayern’s squad.

“He’s important for us and will continue to be,” Kompany told DAZN. “The team loves him. I only have players who want to play and accept the competition for places.

“At Bayern, it’s always easy to talk about individual players. But I want to talk about the team. That’s important to me.

“He is very important in this team. He’s doing well, but so are the others.”

Goretzka has made over 200 appearances for Bayern since joining from Schalke in 2018, including 42 across all competitions last season.

The midfielder has also won five Bundesliga titles during his time with the Bavarian giants, as well as the Champions League in 2019-20.

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— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) September 18, 2024