Bayern's Kompany to remain sidelined for Klassiker
Bayern Munich will take on Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker without coach Vincent Kompany on the sidelines, but Aaron Danks says the team is ready for the test.
Kompany was rushed to hospital last week after collapsing in training with a meningeal irritation, but he has since been discharged.
He is expected to miss a few weeks as he continues to recover, with Danks taking charge in his absence.
The Belgian led Bayern to a 6-1 victory over Magdeburg in the DFB-Pokal second round in midweek, but an in-form Dortmund will present a very different challenge for the stand-in boss.
It is the biggest match of the Bundesliga season so far, with the top two going head-to-head at Allianz Arena as they both look to protect unbeaten starts.
Bayern currently sits top of the league on goal difference, and Danks has no intention of switching things up ahead of the clash against Dortmund.
"We want the players to go out and show who they are," he said.
"No big changes, no big differences for us. We will be ready and super competitive.
"There is a difference [in coaching]. Vinnie did not want his assistant coaches to be mini-Vinnies. We are all different, but we complement each other.
"But we don't talk to him about football. We've been given clear instructions there. He needs to recover and spend time with his family. We're not getting him involved so he can be fully back at it when he returns."
Bayern has the best attack in the league this term with 25 goals, but it is Dortmund with the best defence, not just in the Bundesliga, but in Europe's top-five leagues.
It has conceded just four goals and has kept five clean sheets in its opening seven league games, equalling its club record set in 2017-2018 and 2020-2021.
"They're [Dortmund] very good defensively. They concede very few goals," Danks said of Dortmund.
"We often play against opponents who set up like that, like against Arsenal. They also hadn't conceded in the Champions League before coming here.
"But Dortmund also have good forwards. I know a few of them from my time in England. We need to be ready for every phase of the game and perform to our best."
Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany
FC Bayern München
