Bayern Munich are facing a goalkeeper shortage ahead of their Champions League round of 16 second leg against Italian side Atalanta. A series of injuries could see 16-year-old academy graduate Leonard Prescott take the place in goal for the German giants, the Associated Press reports.
The goalkeeping situation at the Munich club has worsened over the past week. Team captain Manuel Neuer continues to recover from a torn calf muscle. His backup, Sven Ulreich, suffered an adductor muscle injury in Saturday's Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen (1-1) and is currently unavailable.
An additional problem was Jonas Urbig's concussion, which he suffered in the first game against Atalanta (6:1) and only resumed training the day before the game. With the other goalkeeper Daniel Peretz on loan at Southampton and Leon Klanak injured since December, head coach Vincent Kompany is left with only the club's young players – 16-year-old Leonard Prescott and 19-year-old Giannis Bertl.
Prescott was considered the top contender for the two goalkeepers to be included in the squad a few days before the match against Atalanta, but his participation is also complicated by German law. According to the regulations on the protection of young people at work, persons under the age of 18 are prohibited from working after 8 p.m. Given the late start time of the Champions League games, Bayern was forced to apply to the relevant authorities for special permission to involve the teenager in the match.
Despite the youngster's readiness, Munich head coach Vincent Kompany hinted that the teenager's exit may not be necessary, as Jonas Urbig returned to training on Tuesday, March 17. The Bayern coach commented on Urbig's health during the pre-match press conference and emphasized that the player's participation will be approved exclusively by the medical staff.
“The decision on whether Urbig is fit to play will be made purely medically. If [on match day] everything goes well and everything goes as it is now, then Urbig will be in goal as usual. And if not, then we need to use another solution, and we will do that too,” Kompany said.
If he takes the field against Atalanta, Leonard Prescott will set a historic achievement: at the age of 16 years and 176 days, he will become the youngest goalkeeper in Champions League history, surpassing the record of Maarten Vandevordt (17 years and 287 days).
Leonard Prescott, 16, was born in New York (USA), but began his football career at Union Berlin. In 2023, he joined the Bayern academy and is currently the first-choice goalkeeper for the U19 team and is also involved in matches for the German U17 team. Prescott was already in the squad for the first match against Atalanta last week and was a substitute in the German championship game last Saturday.
The second leg of the Champions League round of 16 between Bayern and Atalanta will take place on Wednesday, March 18, at 10:00 PM Kyiv time.