Julian Nagelsmann lamented the lack of a "lucky punch" as Bayern Munich were held 1-1 by his former club Hoffenheim.

Bayern needed an equaliser from Robert Lewandowski in first-half stoppage time to come away with a point, after Christoph Baumgartner fired the hosts ahead.

Hoffenheim are in the mix for a place in next season's Champions League, sitting fifth for now, but Bayern's only objective is sealing another title.

It would be a 10th consecutive Bundesliga triumph, and their lead at the top over second-placed Borussia Dortmund reached 10 points after Saturday's result.

Dortmund have two games in hand, however, including a tussle with Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday, and cannot yet be counted out.

Bayern finished with an expected goals tally of 3.4 in Hoffenheim, according to Opta, which is a reflection of the quality of chances they had. That was double Hoffenheim's xG score, and underlined how Bayern had abundant opportunities to take maximum reward.

Head coach Nagelsmann said the lively game had been "fun", adding: "The lucky punch didn't happen and that's why it's 1-1 at the end.

"I think we were slightly closer to the three points than our opponents, but today it's not undeserved at the end. it was an interesting game and we have to live with that. Next week we'll try to be three times as good."

Bayern thrashed Salzburg 7-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, when their finishing was almost faultless, but it will not be like that in every game.

Asked whether his team would give him grey hairs, Nagelsmann said: "I don't get grey hairs. They don't grow in me, they just drop out. I don't have too many of them."

Bayern led the shot count 18-9, but some wayward finishing and outstanding goalkeeping from Oliver Baumann, who made six saves, meant a second goal was beyond them.

"I think without criticising too much, the pitch was very, very dry," Nagelsmann said. "The ball bounced weirdly because the pitch was so dry.

"You have to hit the ball a bit lower than usual and that's why Oliver Baumann was able to hold onto the balls well, but contact on the pitch was a little bit rough.

"If any hairs fell out, I'll have a look tomorrow."

Thomas Muller had three goals disallowed as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim.

Robert Lewandowski headed Bayern level in first-half stoppage time after the hosts snatched a shock lead through Christoph Baumgartner.

The second half was dominated by Bayern, but their finishing was often wasteful, and there was almost a shock for Julian Nagelsmann's team late on.

Andrej Kramaric had a glorious chance for Hoffenheim as the teams tired, but he could not find a way past Manuel Neuer.

Neuer had earlier made a terrific save from Kramaric in the fifth minute after Hoffenheim sliced through a sleepy Bayern defence, before the visitors went close when Muller's prodded effort was pushed aside by Oliver Baumann.

Muller thought he had headed Bayern in front just before the half-hour mark, but Serge Gnabry had strayed offside before teeing up his senior team-mate. Muller had a second strike disallowed for another offside soon afterwards.

Hoffenheim snatched the lead in the 32nd minute when Baumgartner volleyed David Raum's cross from the left past Neuer from close range, but Lewandowski's thumping header from Kimmich's right-wing corner brought Bayern back to level terms.

Muller completed a hat-trick of disallowed goals early in the second half, after another offside, as Bayern pushed hard to get ahead.

Serge Gnabry smashed a shot against the left post after dashing clear of the dawdling home defence and shooting across Baumann, while Jamal Musiala failed to convert from a tight angle after going wide of the goalkeeper. Muller then saw a shot squirm through Baumann's grasp, kept out almost on the line by the elbow of sliding defender Stefan Posch, with nothing given.

Hoffenheim had one last great chance to snatch all three points when Neuer saved superbly from Kramaric's 12-yard strike, after Jacob Bruun Larsen got free down the right and played a smart cutback.

Kylian Mbappe looks set to end one of the biggest transfer sagas of recent seasons by penning his deal with Real Madrid next week.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker will reportedly move to Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer at the end of the season.

It will mark the end of a lengthy pursuit by Los Blancos, despite the Ligue 1 club's efforts to keep their star man.

TOP STORY - MADRID CLOSING IN ON MBAPPE

Mbappe will confirm his future in a matter of days by putting pen to paper on a contract with Real Madrid, claims Marca.

The France international was pursued by Los Blancos last year, but instead remained with Paris Saint-Germain to see out the rest of his contract.

That expires at the end of this campaign, and despite PSG's resistance, the forward will confirm his future at Santiago Bernabeu with a free move before the month is up.

ROUND-UP

- Manchester City have locked a deal in place for the capture of Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, according to the Daily Mail. City look to have beaten off several European rivals for the Leeds-born Norway international, and are now set to discuss personal terms.

- Scotland international Kieran Tierney is set to be the subject of a move from Madrid, claims 90min. The Arsenal star has helped form the bedrock of a Gunners revival this term and his performances have not gone under-the-radar when it comes to Los Blancos and their interest.

- Antonio Conte is willing to consider an extension at Tottenham, providing the club can show that they have "vision", says the Guardian. The Italian has endured a topsy-turvy tenure so far in north London, but remains one of the most respected coaches in the game.

- Crystal Palace star Conor Gallagher is unsure where his future lies following his success on loan at Selhurst Park this season, according to ESPN. The Chelsea man is with the Eagles on a year-long deal, and has picked up England honours during his tenure.

- Atletico Madrid are thinking about a move for Barcelona's Sergi Roberto. According to Fichajes, the midfielder is frustrated at his lack of consistent game-time and LaLiga's champions could swoop for him.

Erling Haaland could make his long-awaited return from injury during Borussia Dortmund's clash with Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday, revealed head coach Marco Rose.

Haaland, who has hit 16 Bundesliga goals at a rate of just 71.56 minutes per goal this season, has not featured for second-placed Dortmund since sustaining a muscle injury six weeks ago.

But ahead of Dortmund's home clash with relegation-battlers Arminia, Rose revealed that his top scorer could be set for a return to action, albeit from the bench. 

"Erling is now pain-free, which makes him very happy," the 45-year-old said. "He's just happy that he's now training with the team every day again and is in a very good mood. 

"First and foremost, it's always about health. Everything else is secondary."

Rose did, however, say that the Norway star was unlikely to play from the start, issuing a reminder that he has been out for a "long time", and that he was more likely to be introduced from the bench.

Bundesliga matches involving Dortmund have averaged 4.21 goals per game this season, the highest tally in the division, and BVB have actually conceded more goals (37) than Sunday's opponents have (33), despite sitting 13 places higher in the table.

Yet, with Dortmund nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich with a game in hand, Rose seemed content with his side's progress, and hoped to deliver one last push for the title during the run-in.

"Despite some weaker games, we have also delivered some spectacles," Rose said. "The fans have always pushed us with their feedback. 

"That's what I'd like to see from Sunday onwards, so that we can push together at the end of the season."

Elsewhere, Haaland's return could be accompanied by that of Giovanni Reyna, in what would be a major boost to the United States ahead of this month's crucial World Cup qualifiers.

The 19-year-old suffered what looked like a hamstring injury last month and has made just five Bundesliga appearances all campaign, but the club's social media channels have now revealed that the youngster has been in full training this week and is in line for a return. 

With just three matches left in their qualification campaign, USA are battling with Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica for a spot in Qatar, facing each of the latter three in crucial matchups before the end of March. 

Julian Nagelsmann acknowledged the differing challenges between his current Bayern Munich role and former club Hoffenheim ahead of his return on Saturday.

Nagelsmann became the youngest Bundesliga head coach in history when he took charge of Hoffenheim in February 2016, before guiding them to their first-ever Champions League qualification the next season.

The 34-year-old managed 116 top-flight games at the Hoffenheim helm, more than any other coach in the club's history, before his departure to RB Leipzig in 2019.

He averaged 1.65 points per game in the league during his tenure - the best points average of any Hoffenheim boss in Bundesliga history - with his successor, and current head coach, Sebastian Hoeness ranking second (1.46).

Hoeness' side sit fourth in the league this term and are looking to equal a club record with a fifth straight top-flight victory, while they are also on the current longest winning run in the Bundesliga (four).

Hoffenheim have also collected three wins in their last five league home games against Bayern - in the first eight, they had remained winless (D3 L5) - but despite the challenge Nagelsmann is looking forward to his return.

"Of course, when you grow up in a club and take your first steps, you have formative moments there," he told reporters on Friday when asked about his memories of Hoffenheim. 

"As a Bayern coach, you're more a manager than a coach. Maybe that's not the case in Hoffenheim because you have to train the players a bit more there.

"You don't have a ready-made team there, you have to develop them. Of course, I miss [Hoffenheim director of football] Alexander Rosen too, we have a very good relationship.

"The Heidelberg area is the only region I can imagine living in long term - next to Munich.

"Hopefully the whistling [at the PreZero Arena] is over, that would certainly have been louder a few weeks after my departure. I'm looking forward to it, also because fans are here for the first time."

Nagelsmann, whose side sit nine points clear at the Bundesliga summit, also detailed his relationship with his successor Hoeness as he heaped praise on Hoffenheim's recent form.

"They have won their last four matches and are strong in a number of different rankings as well," he added. "They tried to play a lot of balls behind our backline earlier this season, so we will need to be prepared for that.

"[Hoeness] is doing very, very well. He's both a good coach and a good guy. We talk on the phone from time to time.

"He's one of those colleagues with whom you can exchange ideas and not shy away from exchanging ideas about content. I'm really happy for him about the current situation."

Manuel Neuer returned in midweek for the 7-1 crushing of Salzburg in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, but Nagelsmann remains without the injured Corentin Tolisso, Leon Goretzka and Alphonso Davies for the next league fixture.

However, he will be able to call upon Jamal Musiala once more in the middle and the Bayern boss has been impressed with the youngster's development.

"He's developing very well and becoming more consistent and reliable," Nagelsmann said of Musiala. 

"We know that he's a very talented attacker. He's extremely important to us, and we are glad to have him here."

Paris Saint-Germain's latest quest to win the Champions League was ended by Real Madrid on Wednesday.

The Ligue 1 leaders squandered a 2-0 aggregate lead with just half an hour of the tie remaining, losing 3-1 in the second leg and 3-2 on aggregate thanks to Karim Benzema's hat-trick.

It means head coach Mauricio Pochettino could already be looking ahead to a change of scenery.

TOP STORY – POCHETTINO SET FOR PSG SACK AND COULD TURN TO MAN UTD

Mauricio Pochettino's job is "hanging by a thread" at PSG, according to the Telegraph.

It is claimed the Argentine can expect to leave the club at the end of the season following their Champions League collapse against Real Madrid.

Pochettino has long been linked with the Manchester United manager job and could now start to prepare for the prospect of taking over at Old Trafford.

ROUND-UP

- Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken with agent Jorge Mendes over his future at Manchester United, claims the Sun. Meanwhile, Bild reports the Red Devils are interested in signing Robert Lewandowski.

- Paul Pogba is another who could be leaving Old Trafford this year, but Juventus are not yet certain whether to try to re-sign him on a free transfer or offer a new contract to Paulo Dybala, Tuttosport claims.

- Barcelona are close to concluding an agreement with Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, according to Sport.

- Arsenal want to sign two new strikers and a midfielder as part of a major squad overhaul, the Standard says. Alexander Isak, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jonathan David and Darwin Nunez are among the forwards being tracked.

- A consortium led by British businessman Nick Candy is working on a £2.5billion bid to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich, the Guardian reports.

Xavi is confident that Barcelona will land their transfer targets in the next window but was unwilling to confirm whether Erling Haaland is one of those his side are chasing.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported on Wednesday that Barcelona are growing increasingly confident of winning the race for in-demand Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland.

The 21-year-old has been linked with an array of Europe's elite clubs, including Barca's rivals Real Madrid, after scoring 80 goals in 79 games for Dortmund in all competitions.

That is a tally bettered only by Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (115 goals in 97 matches) among players from Europe's top five leagues since January 2020.

Haaland has a reported €75million release clause that kicks in at the end of the season, although Barca's well-documented financial issues over the past year would make any deal difficult.

While falling short of confirming whether his side are looking to recruit Haaland, Xavi insisted Camp Nou is a lure for any player, despite Barca's relative recent plight.

"You say I have met with Haaland – I didn't know that!" Xavi said at a pre-match news conference previewing Thursday's Europa League match with Galatasaray.

"It's always a good time to come to Barca for any footballer. There isn't a footballer who has said no to Barca since I've been here.

"The player we want to sign, when we can talk to him, we talk to him about the game model, about the training sessions.

"If you will touch 20 balls at another club, here you will touch 40. The club, the city that is wonderful, the history of Barca...

"I will try to convince any player that coming to Barca is a golden opportunity."

Speculation regarding Haaland's future will likely rumble on for a number of months yet, but Barca are hopeful of completing some transfer business of sorts before then.

Gavi and Ronald Araujo are both set to be out of contract next year, though the club are working to tie both players down to fresh terms.

"They are two very important players," Xavi said. "The club's working very well and they are a priority for us. 

"It is a process. Sometimes the negotiations take a long time. We hope for the good of the club that there is an agreement."

Barca host Galatasaray on Wednesday for the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie boasting an eight-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

While the Catalans are considered the favourites of many to lift the trophy in May, Xavi believes perennial winners Sevilla are the team to beat.

"I don't see us as one of the favourites. We have never won the competition," he said. "Sevilla are more favourites than us. 

"We are one of the candidates and we have to prove it on the pitch. There is enthusiasm in Barcelona. Every game at Barca is an exam, but we haven't done anything yet."

Barca have faced Galatasaray eight times previously, winning each of the past three meetings, the most recent of those a 3-1 win in the 2002-03 Champions League group stage.

Antonio Rudiger's future at Chelsea has been the topic of plenty of speculation.

The 29-year-old centre-back has been with the Blues since 2017 when he joined on a five-year deal.

Rudiger is yet to extend his contract with Chelsea, with plenty of interest in the Germany international.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE AND MAN UTD IN FOR RUDIGER

Newcastle United are ready to compete in the race to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, claims the Telegraph.

The Germany international has drawn interest from Real Madrid while the Express reports that Manchester United are also considering a move for the defender.

Rudiger's contract with Chelsea expires at the end of this season, although he has not ruled out staying at Stamford Bridge.

ROUND-UP

- The Express claims Harry Kane has informed his Tottenham team-mates that he will remain with the club should they clinch a top-four spot and Champions League football.

- Arsenal may move to re-sign Serge Gnabry from Bayern Munich, who previously spent four years with the Gunners, according to Football.London. Gnabry is valued at €75million (£63m).

- Arsenal, along with Leicester City, have sent scouts to track Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi, according to Nicolo Schira. The Italians are asking for €30m for their club captain, with interest from Napoli and Milan also.

- FootMercato claims Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are considering moves for Manchester City's Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez.

Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United may be coming to a premature end.

The Portuguese forward has struggled since Ralf Rangnick's arrival as interim manager in December.

United are also battling to finish in the Premier League's top four.

TOP STORY - RONALDO COURTS MOVE TO MESSI'S PSG

FootballTransfers claims that Ronaldo has decided that he will leave Manchester United if they do not qualify for the Champions League, with a move to join Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain on his agenda.

Speculation about Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford ramped up after he missed Sunday's Manchester derby due to a hip flexor injury and flew to Portugal.

The report that claims that Ronaldo returning to Juventus has been ruled out, along with his original Portuguese club Sporting CP, with the five-time Ballon d'Or courting a move to Paris.

ROUND-UP

- Defensa Central reports that Newcastle United have commenced talks with Real Madrid over a move for 31-year-old ex-Chelsea forward Eden Hazard who has had an underwhelming spell with Los Blancos.

- Manchester United's Marcus Rashford has a list of clubs circling for his services with Arsenal, Newcastle and West Ham all interested, according to 90Min.

- The Mail claims that PSG will make a move for Rashford too, should Kylian Mbappe leave the French capital to join Madrid.

- Manchester City and Madrid are in the lead to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland ahead of Bayern Munich and Barcelona claims The Athletic.

- RB Leipzig midfielder Christopher Nkunku is being tracked by Chelsea and Man City according to FootMercato.

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are the natural heirs Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, so says Gonzalo Higuain.

Both players have been linked with moves to Real Madrid, and Mbappe recently scored a superb solo goal to give Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 lead over Los Blancos in their Champions League round-of-16 tie.

Madrid had multiple bids for Mbappe turned down in August. The 23-year-old will become a free agent at the end of the season.

Reports had suggested that Mbappe could miss Wednesday's return leg in Spain after suffering a knock in training, but with PSG hoping that he will be fit for the trip, former Madrid forward Higuain claims the forward is one of the two heirs apparent to Messi and Ronaldo.

The Inter Miami forward, who scored 107 goals in 190 LaLiga appearances for Madrid between 2007 and 2013, also believes Mbappe's arrival could take his old club back "to the top" of European football.

"[Mbappe] has all the characteristics," Higuain told Stats Perform.

"I believe that Leo and Cristiano at some point will stop playing, because life is like that, and Mbappe and Haaland will be their successors. 

"Of course, Mbappe has all the characteristics to take Real Madrid to the top."

Mbappe recently moved level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the joint-second highest goalscorer in PSG's history, with his tally of 156 goals for the French giants bettered only by Edinson Cavani, who scored 200 goals for the club.

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti called Mbappe "unstoppable" after he downed the Spanish giants at the Parc des Princes last month.

PSG sporting director Leonardo, meanwhile, recently referred to Mbappe as the "best player in the world today", hinting the in-demand striker could yet elect to remain in the French capital.

Mbappe was suspended for PSG's 1-0 Ligue 1 loss to Nice last time out, and is the only player in the French top flight to have reached double figures for both goals and assists this season, with his 24 goal contributions (14 goals, 10 assists) helping the Parisians to a 13-point lead at the summit. 

Haaland, meanwhile, is one of the most prolific forwards in European football, and it has been reported that Madrid and Manchester City are leading the chase for the 21-year-old.

Since making his debut for Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, the Norway international has netted 80 times in all competitions, a tally which ranks behind that of only Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (112) in the same timeframe of players in Europe's big five leagues.

Joan Laporta has denied that Barcelona have held negotiations with Erling Haaland to try to lure the Borussia Dortmund striker to Camp Nou.

It was reported by L'Esportiu that Barca head coach Xavi and sporting advisor Jordi Cruyff had travelled to Munich to meet Haaland this week.

Xavi did not deny meeting the sought-after Norway international, stating he "cannot give details" over a potential move for the 21-year-old and the Blaugrana are "working for the present and the future" in the transfer market.

Laporta insisted the Catalan giants would not engage in official talks with Haaland – who has a €75million release clause that kicks in at the end of this season – without Dortmund's permission.

The Barca president told reporters: "At Barça we don't negotiate with the player, when we have to negotiate we will do it with Borussia Dortmund if the circumstance arises. 

"Xavi hasn't denied it? Well, I categorically deny it. If we negotiate, we would do it with Borussia Dortmund. We are working on many players who can improve the squad next season according to what the coach, the director of football and the technical secretary say.

"We are working and planning, but not negotiating with players. Neither meeting nor negotiating."

But Laporta does not believe it would be an issue if Xavi has spoken to Haaland in Bavaria.

He added: "I am convinced that conversations can be held between athletes, they can talk about football, which is what they know.

"Coming to Barca is attractive because the team is under construction and they fall in love [with the club] because there are very young players, with a lot of talent, who have a present and a future, but the economic issues are valued by other people in the club."

Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule insisted he will "give everything" to ensure Borussia Dortmund finish second in the Bundesliga this season, despite agreeing to join Marco Rose's side in 2022-23.

Sule has agreed to join Dortmund when his deal expires at the Allianz Arena in June, but Julian Nagelsmann has repeatedly assured that the centre-back remains committed to the cause.

That was evident when Sule opened the scoring against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, although the reigning Bundesliga champions had to settle for a 1-1 draw after Thomas Muller's own-goal.

The 26-year-old was a standout performer against Gerardo Seoane's side, completing a game-high 99 successful passes, with no player attempting more in the opposition half (53).

While Bayern missed the chance to go 11 points clear at the Bundesliga summit, Sule expressed his commitment to Nagelsmann's side with his focus solely on domestic and Champions League success this term before joining Dortmund.

"I'm nothing but grateful. I'll give everything for this club until the last day, hopefully with two more titles," Sule told Sky Deutschland, as quoted by BILD.

"I believe in that. I'm grateful for the way people here are coping with my decision.

"I deliberately haven't spoken out yet. I'm still a Bayern player. There are still two big titles to play for and I will give everything to make sure Dortmund finish second this season."

The Bavarian giants sit nine points clear at the top, with second-placed Dortmund boasting a game in hand but they are not in action next until March 13.

But Nagelsmann was disappointed with his team's outing as he acknowledged Leverkusen squandered as many presentable opportunities as Bayern.

"The first half an hour was very good," he told reporters. "We had a lot of control and missed the second goal. We had chances. The goal we conceded was avoidable. The communication between Thomas [Muller] and Sven [Ulreich] was there, but I think it was too quiet.

"We were lucky not to concede a second. In the second half, Leverkusen defended deep. They had three good chances on the counter.

"The final touch was missing for us. I think in the end a point was fair for both teams, even though, of course, both wanted to win."

Bayern will look to make amends in the league when they visit Hoffenheim in a week's time, after Nagelsmann's men host Salzburg on Tuesday in the return leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, which is finely poised at 1-1.

Bayern Munich missed the chance to open an 11-point gap at the Bundesliga summit as they were held to a thrilling 1-1 draw by Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

Julian Nagelsmann's side were 5-0 up after 37 minutes in the reverse meeting last October, and needed just 18 minutes at the Allianz Arena to take the lead through Niklas Sule.

Thomas Muller's own goal levelled things up in the first half, but neither team could find a winner after the interval despite an end-to-end affair that produced a host of opportunities.

The result leaves Bayern nine points clear of second-placed Dortmund, who have a game in hand and are not in action until March 13, while Gerardo Seoane's Leverkusen sit 14 adrift of the leaders in third.

Amine Adli drilled the first chance of the contest narrowly wide for Leverkusen, and it was Bayern who opened the scoring shortly after.

Sule slammed past Lukas Hradecky following Charles Aranguiz's goal-line clearance from a deflected Joshua Kimmich corner, before Serge Gnabry flashed just wide.

Parity was soon restored when Muller poked Kerem Demirbay's free-kick into his own net, and Leverkusen should have headed into half-time ahead.

Adli rounded Sven Ulreich following Dayot Upamecano's wayward pass but could only strike the post, before the same visiting player shot wide when clean through, and then the Bayern goalkeeper thwarted Aranguiz minutes later.

Jamal Musiala forced a smart Hradecky stop after the break, while Florian Wirtz's deft touch squirmed just off target with Ulreich seemingly beaten at the other end.

Hradecky denied substitute Marcel Sabitzer when one-on-one immediately after his introduction as Bayern's push for a winning goal came to no avail.

Julian Nagelsmann confirmed that Manuel Neuer returned to full training on Friday, but a home clash with Bayer Leverkusen will come too soon for Bayern Munich's goalkeeper.

Neuer required knee surgery in February and has not featured since a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, in which he matched Oliver Kahn's all-time record of 310 Bundesliga victories by a player. He achieved the first 77 triumphs with former club Schalke.

The Germany international – who holds the record for the most clean sheets in the Bundesliga (209), having surpassed Kahn (196) in 2021 – returned to light training late last month, but Nagelsmann confirmed the 35-year-old is now back into full team sessions.

While Neuer will be unavailable for the meeting with Leverkusen at Allianz Arena, the Bayern head coach suggested a return for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Salzburg on Tuesday could be a possibility.

"Manu did a little more today for the first time, also in team training," Nagelsmann told reporters at a pre-match news conference.

"Things are looking good. He still feels a little twinge when he has to stand up from a deep knee bend. He won't be an option for the squad tomorrow, that would be naive. 

"We'll have to see how sensible that is for Salzburg. We'll have to wait and see how he reacts. He hasn't lost any of his quality."

Bayern sit eight points clear at the summit of the German top flight ahead of their clash with third-placed Leverkusen, who are 14 adrift of the leaders.

Nagelsmann's team won the reverse fixture 5-1 and were 5-0 up after just 37 minutes – only in a 7-1 win at home against Hoffenheim in 2012 have they lead by five goals at an earlier point in a league match (after 35 minutes).

However, Leverkusen have taken 44 points from their 24 games in this campaign – the last time they had more at this stage was in 2012-13 (45) – and Nageslmann is expecting a stern challenge.

Indeed, both Bayern, who have managed 75 goals, a Bundesliga record for any team, and Leverkusen (63) have never before found the net as many times after 24 Bundesliga matches as they have done this season.

"A goal spectacle would be good for the spectators, but only to a limited extent for the coaches," Nagelsmann added. "Game control and the defence will be particularly important. 

"[Florian] Wirtz has the ability to move between the lines. [Jeremie] Frimpong initiates a lot, they have a very high pace and a lot of quality. We have to be prepared for that. 

"The first game [against Leverkusen] was very impressive, but we could have conceded a goal or two more.

"I don't expect them to be as offensive as they were in the first meeting and I expect them to keep pushing up but a little bit lower than they have been in recent years."

Niklas Sule, who has agreed to join Borussia Dortmund when his contract expires at the end of the season, also comes back into contention, and Nagelsmann believes the centre-back will continue giving his all for the club until he departs.

"I have a clear opinion," Nagelsmann said. "There is a certain contractual situation, the contract is limited and expires. 

"A player ideally extends, is sold or a contract expires. If the player continues who has the desire and does everything to be successful, I would always let the player play. 

"In many cases, things turn out well for the club. Sometimes things turn out differently, like with [David] Alaba [who joined Real Madrid at the end of his contract] or Sule. 

"That's part of it. You try to get the player on your side for a long time so that he gives everything for the club."

Chelsea have enjoyed an unrivalled period of success across Roman Abramovich's near two decades as owner at Stamford Bridge.

From their five Premier Leagues and two Champions Leagues, plus last month's Club World Cup triumph, the Blues have won it all under the Russian billionaire.

But amid mounting political pressure following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Abramovich is reportedly open to selling Chelsea for the first time.

TOP STORY – THREE PARTIES INTERESTED IN BLUES 

According to The Telegraph, at least three parties are circling Chelsea in the belief that Abramovich is ready to walk away.

Abramovich announced on Saturday, a day before the Blues' EFL Cup final loss to Liverpool, that he is taking a step back from his duties as owner.

The report indicates that Chelsea are bracing themselves for bids as early as this week as a changing of the guard at Stamford Bridge becomes a realistic possibility.

ROUND-UP

- Manchester City have ramped up their interest in Borussia Dortmund's in-demand striker Erling Haaland, according to The Express. City chief Txiki Begiristain is said to have recently met with agent Mino Raiola to discuss the signing of Haaland.

- Ralf Rangnick has been ruled out of the running to become Manchester United's next permanent boss. The Sun claims that Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag, in charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax respectively, are the two men being considered.

- Sky Sports News reports that Antonio Rudiger's representatives remain in constant dialogue with Real Madrid and PSG over an end-of-season transfer. Chelsea want to keep hold of the defender, but they have been unable to agree fresh terms. 

- According to football.london, Arsenal are eager to reward Bukayo Saka with a new deal at the end of the campaign. The England international is already under contract at Emirates Stadium until July 2024.

- Atletico Madrid midfielder Hector Herrera will see out the remainder of the 2021-22 LaLiga campaign before making the switch to Houston Dynamo in MLS, Fabrizio Romano suggests. Herrera has made 14 appearances this term and is a regular for Mexico.