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Years ago, an unwritten law manifested itself at FC Bayern that is still in force today.

It reads: Two players in our squad are irreplaceable - Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski.

Since the beginning of the Hans-Dieter "Hansi" Flick era, Thomas Müller has once again played such an important role that many people include him in this illustrious circle.

Trainer Flick faces an enormous challenge.

Ironically, for the top game of the Bundesliga against RB Leipzig on Saturday (6.30 p.m., in the sports ticker of the WELT), the competition between the leaders of the table and the runner-up, he has to develop a plan B.

Lewandowski is expected to be out for four weeks with a ligament stretch in his right knee.

Also in the first quarter-final game of Munich in the Champions League against Paris St. Germain on Wednesday, the newly formed offensive will be very important.

The season goals of the record champions are in danger.

“Of course, this is at an inconvenient time,” said Thomas Müller in an Instagram video.

Now others would have to step into the breach.

It is not easy to find a replacement who scores goals “in the crowd”.

Choupo-Moting would be a one-for-one swap

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Bayern's sporting management has not signed a second world-class striker in recent years.

Who in this category would be satisfied with so few assignments per season?

Lewandowski is rarely absent and, like Neuer, is not known as a player who likes to "give away" game minutes.

Young professional Joshua Zirkzee awarded the Munich team to Parma Calcio, Fiete Arp only plays in the second team.

Flick still has several options.

In April, his team will play at least seven games, eight if they advance in the premier class.

Depending on the success, the coach should decide after the game against Leipzig whether one of them is the right one for several weeks.

Or he changes depending on the opponent.

If Flick swaps the striker one-on-one in his system, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting could be Lewandowski's representative.

Bayern signed the 32-year-old as a “back-up” for the world footballer last year.

In the Bundesliga he played four times from the start and scored one goal.

The 1.91 meter tall Choupo-Moting is robust and is very helpful for the team.

You could fix it up front: Gnabry (left), Sané (2nd from right) and Müller are under even more pressure to succeed because of Lewandowski's failure

Source: Friedemann Vogel - Pool / Getty Images Im / Pool

Option two: Flick brings Serge Gnabry as the central attacker.

So it was last done by national coach Joachim Loew in a 1-0 win against Romania, in the World Cup qualifier Gnabry scored the 15th goal in his 19th international match.

Leroy Sané and Kingsley Coman could then storm over the flanks, Müller behind Gnabry.

Option three: Müller as tip.

Bayern have chosen this variant several times in the past.

Müller is the best preparer in the league with 14 assists, his passports could be missing in the new position.

In terms of leadership and responsibility, midfielder Joshua Kimmich is now even more important, provided that his importance for the Bayern game can be increased at all.

Flick also missed the suspended Alphonso Davies and Jérôme Boateng against Leipzig.

The coach is particularly challenged at Bayern this week.