Harry Kane has had an “immediate impact” on Bayern Munich’s dressing room atmosphere and is expected to make his first start for the German champions against Werder Bremen this Friday.
Hours after being announced as a Bayern player, the England captain came on as a 64th-minute substitute in Bayern's 3-0 loss to RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup on Saturday and Kane later indicated that he might need time to adapt to his new team’s style after 19 years at Tottenham.
Coach Thomas Tuchel has nonetheless stated that Kane will start Friday's game “if nothing happens today, nothing extraordinary,” and said he was fitting in well with the rest of the Bayern team.
“My first impressions of Harry are fantastic,” said the German. “He is a top professional, the quality is outstanding and he's a fantastic human being, he is very open, he's first on the training pitch, he is open in the dressing room.
“I think he has immediate impact in the dressing room with his personality, with his approach to football, his love for the game, you feel it every day. You feel it in every little exercise.”
Tuchel added that injured first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is further along in his recovery than expected after surgery and he could return to training with the rest of the team in a matter of weeks.
The 37-year-old Neuer hasn't played since last year's World Cup. He broke his leg while skiing after the tournament and needed another operation recently to remove metal implants from earlier surgery.
That could affect Bayern's search for a new goalkeeper after longtime back-up Sven Ulreich faced Leipzig, and whether the club signs any new keeper to challenge Neuer for the starting spot or simply as extra cover behind Ulreich. Tuchel said on Thursday that Bayern are still looking for a goalkeeper but didn't say what that player's role in the squad would be.
Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said last week the club had tried and failed to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga before he opted for Real Madrid on loan from Chelsea. More recently, Bayern have reportedly been interested in Manchester City backup Stefan Ortega.
