Niklas Süle is the dream of every employer. Since joining Bayern in Munich in 2017, he has not missed a single working day. Every training, every game, every sponsorship date: Süle was there. Minor injuries, sometimes a cold? Did not give it to the defender.
Sole's perfect record ended on Saturday. He had to be replaced after 12 minutes against FC Augsburg. The diagnosis: Cruciate ligament tear in the left knee, one of the worst and most protracted injuries a footballer can contract. Süle had already torn the cruciate ligament, 2014 was that. It followed the only major break in his career.
Sven Simon / imago images
Niklas Süle contracted a cruciate ligament tear in Augsburg's left knee
Süle will now collect many days off. Bayern President Uli Hoeness already completed a participation in the European Championship in the summer. Süle's injury throws the planning of his coaches upside down: Both Bayern coach Niko Kovac and coach Joachim Löw have chosen Süle to head their defensive lines. But while Kovac alternatives are available, Löw go out there.
Colossus and Sprinter
Süle distinguishes a very special profile. His figure is huge: He brings just under 100 kilograms on the scales, "Sky" according to he is the heaviest field player in the Bundesliga. At the same time he finds himself every season among the ten fastest Bundesliga players, he reaches a top speed of up to 35 kilometers per hour.
Süle dominates both facets of a good defender: He can block out massive strikers with his physical presence in a direct duel, but can also win running duels against lively sprinters.
Süle is also one of Germany's strongest center-backs with the ball. His passes are less spectacular than the long strokes of a Mats Hummels or a Jérôme Boateng. Süle, however, also plays precise balls. He also dares to advance with the ball on the foot in the opposing half. So Süle is the prototype of a modern center-back.
Kovac has alternatives, Löw not
Bayern coach Kovac is now faced with the task of replacing Süle. With just twenty field players Bayern have the smallest squad in the league. But in the center-back position they are solidly positioned: Boateng, Lucas Hernández, Benjamin Pavard and Javi Martínez have four alternatives under contract.
None of the candidates combines Sule's physique and speed. Instead of replacing Süle directly, Kovac could divide its tasks on two shoulders: Hernández and Pavard bring speed with, Boateng and Martínez the necessary physical strength. Even without Süle Bayern place one of, if not the strongest central defensive of the league.
For coach Löw the question of a replacement is more difficult. The boating of Boateng and Hummels robs him of options. Of the current candidates, no one can really replace Süle.
Jonathan Tah (1.95 meters tall, 95 kilograms) comes close to the body structure Süle. He is missing, however, the consistency, the Leverkusen had recently in the international match against the Netherlands (2: 4) several errors in the game. Matthias Ginter (Borussia Mönchengladbach) is over ten kilograms lighter and due to his slower acceleration a completely different type of defender than Sole. The same applies to the highly talented Thilo Kehrer (Paris Saint Germain), the Löw has used mostly as a full-back.
Süle's injury also makes it difficult for Löw to choose the right tactic. Most recently, the national coach often preferred a triple chain, but the defenders go out for him. Emre Can played against Argentina (2: 2) and Estonia (3: 0) in central defense, he convinced in this role already at Liverpool FC under Jürgen Klopp. Against Estonia he saw the red card early after a position error. At his club Juventus he currently receives hardly any mission times.
Other defenders lack experience on the international stage - Hertas Niklas Stark, for example, or the recently nominated Freiburg Robin Koch . Although Löw sees him as the central defender, the majority of his 58 Bundesliga games denied Koch, however, in the defensive midfield. World champion Skhodran Mustafi is in turn at his club Arsenal on the siding.
AFP
Antonio Rüdiger (center) in a duel during the Nations League match between Germany and the Netherlands
There is really only one German defender who comes close to Süle: Antonio Rüdiger . Although he is almost ten centimeters smaller, but convinced as Süle with his physicality in a direct duel. He has made a huge leap forward at Chelsea over the past 12 months. Rüdiger mutated to the ball distributor: Last season played in five top leagues in Europe only five center-backs more passes than Rüdiger. One of them was Sule.
Leadership wanted
This statistic is interesting in that Sule not only drops a strong center back, but also Löw's designated defensive boss. The coach wanted to build his defense chain around Süle, he should instruct his teammates and shoulder the burden of the game structure. Apart from Rüdiger there is no German defense lawyer who has the international format to fill this role outside and on the pitch. The problem: Rüdiger has not yet made a single game this season, last he was injured.
Also, these days the calls are louder, Löw may pardon world champion Hummels . Its ability profile hardly coincides with that of Süle. Hummels is much slower, he wins duels with the foot and not with the body. His style of play is more spectacular, Hummel's passes can defeat entire defenses. Hummels is more of a designer.
In one point, Hummels' reactivation would make sense: He would be predestined as a world champion and internationally experienced player for the post as defensive chief. As before the games against Argentina and Estonia some defenders had to cancel, but Low had also renounced Hummels and declared to want to bet on other players.
If the coming international matches against Belarus (November 16) and Northern Ireland (November 19) show that Rüdiger can not fulfill the role as defense boss, the calls for Hummels are probably louder again.