Vincent Kompany said he would wait until Saturday to decide whether Eric Dier and Dayot Upamecano are fit enough to return to action for Bayern Munich.
Bayern welcome Union Berlin to the Allianz Arena, hoping to maintain their advantage over RB Leipzig at the summit of the Bundesliga standings.
Both Dier and Upamecano are nursing injuries, with the former Tottenham defender replaced by Arijon Ibrahimovic in Bayern's DFB-Pokal win over Mainz in midweek.
Upamecano also missed the trip to the Mewa Arena with a thigh injury, only adding to the defensive woes Kompany has suffered this season.
Bayern are already without Hiroki Ito, Sacha Boey and Josip Stanisic, but Kompany is yet to make a decision on Dier and Upamecano's role in Saturday's fixture.
"It's a pity when players are unavailable. I have 18 fit players, so I have 18 options for the positions," Kompany told a press conference.
"There have obviously been a lot of games in the last few weeks. I have full confidence in the other boys and in the squad."
"The tendency (for Dier and Upamecano) is good but still I will take my time until tomorrow. But it looks good."
During their win over Mainz on Wednesday, Kompany was forced to play a central defensive partnership made up of Leon Goretzka and Konrad Laimer.
And the Bayern boss was not against starting that same duo against Union Berlin this weekend after their strong showing in the DFB-Pokal.
"I could say it is bad for us with two, three or four defenders missing," Kompany added.
"But I have full faith in the other players. I hope they will be fit but in any other case I have faith in the other lads."
Kompany has collected 20 points in his first eight Bundesliga games as Bayern head coach, the best return since Carlo Ancelotti in 2016.
No coach in top-flight history has seen his side score as many goals in their first eight games as Kompany (29), and the Belgian has reason to be confident this weekend.
They have not lost any of their 10 league meetings with Union Berlin (W7, D3) – the only other side Bayern have faced as often in the top-flight without losing is Darmstadt.
However, Kompany was wary of the threat Bo Svensson's side, who have picked up 15 points after eight Bundesliga games – only ever being better off in 2022-23 (17).
"They have done it well so far. They are up there and we will not be underestimating them. But the game is about us," Kompany said.
"You can see that they are very strong in defence and on the counter. This is a team that knows what it has to do. But in the end it is a home game for us."
'Milan shown lack of respect' - Fonseca bemoans refereeing in Atalanta loss
Paulo Fonseca thinks referee Federico La Penna showed AC Milan "a lack of respect" during their 2-1 defeat by Atalanta.
Ademola Lookman's late strike settled the contest at Gewiss Stadium, where Alvaro Morata cancelled out Charles De Ketelaere's earlier effort.
While Atalanta climbed to the Serie A summit following a ninth straight win, Milan saw their seven-game unbeaten streak across all competitions come to an end.
However, Fonseca suggested his side were on the wrong end of questionable officiating, including for the hosts' first goal, where he felt De Ketelaere pushed Theo Hernandez while climbing to head home.
"I am not afraid to speak the truth," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I have always respected the work of the referees. I realise they have a difficult job, but every week, it is always the same.
"The way the referee officiated throughout this evening was a lack of respect for Milan.
"The first goal, [there] was a clear foul, there is absolutely no doubt. The way the referee officiated throughout was against Milan, there is no doubt."
Although, Fonseca acknowledged poor defending from set-pieces proved costly for his side.
"At the end of the day, we lost the game on two set-plays," he added. "The first half was very good, but in the second, we didn't have that link with the strikers.
"I think we deserved more tonight, it was tough to accept conceding two goals from dead-ball situations."
Meanwhile, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini revelled in his side's victory, which lifted them to the top of the table and already had their supporters chanting songs about winning the Scudetto.
"Naturally, this is a great victory against a team with undoubtedly very talented players among the best in the league, and we thoroughly deserved the win," he said.
"The people of Bergamo have their feet firmly on the ground, so don't take anything for granted. If we were still up there after another 20 games, it'd be different, but as things stand, it is an expression of joy and a deserved one, too."
Luis Enrique has 'nothing to complain about' despite PSG's stalemate with Auxerre
Luis Enrique insists he has "nothing to complain about" after Paris Saint-Germain were held to a goalless draw by Auxerre.
The Ligue 1 leaders dropped points for the second game running after an inspired performance by Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Leon at Stade de l'Abbe Deschamps.
Fabian Ruiz saw a first-half goal chalked off for offside as PSG failed to score in a league game for the first time this season.
Their cause was not aided by Leon, who made 11 saves during the match - the highest tally for a goalkeeper who has kept a clean sheet in the French top flight.
Nevertheless, Luis Enrique focused on the positives of his side's performance against Nantes, who have only lost one of their seven league games on home soil this term.
"It's clear that the result does not reflect what happened on the pitch, but we were up against the second-best team at home. We have created many chances to score," he told reporters.
"Obviously, the unfinished business is scoring goals, which is what wins games, but I have nothing to complain about my team. We have tried until the end, all we have to do is keep on trying.
"This is a team that scores a lot of goals and creates a lot of chances. If we are unlucky, I will never criticise my players for missing an opportunity to score. I just encourage them to keep building confidence and improve."
Messi vows Inter Miami will 'come back stronger' after MLS playoff disappointment
Lionel Messi insisted Inter Miami will "come back stronger" next season after landing the MLS MVP award for the 2024 campaign.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner scooped the accolade after captaining the Herons to their first Supporters' Shield title with a record 74 points.
Messi registered 32 direct goal involvements (21 goals, 11 assists) along the way, but the season ultimately ended in disappointment for Miami, who were stunned by Atlanta United in round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
But the Argentina skipper vowed he and his team-mates will bounce back in 2025 under new head coach - and former club and international colleague - Javier Mascherano.
"I would have liked to receive this award in another situation, being able to play the [MLS Cup] final next Saturday," Messi told Miami's academy players during a special ceremony at Chase Stadium.
"But that's also what football is about, overcoming yourself every day. We had a big dream of being MLS champions this year. It didn't happen, but next year, we'll come back stronger to try again."
Messi became the fifth Argentine to win the award after Christian Gomez (2006), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2008), Diego Valeri (2017) and Luciano Acosta (2022).
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