Where Does Philipp Lahm Fit into Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich Plan?

Bayern Munich continued their pursuit for another historic treble-winning season this week with a comprehensive 7-0 thumping of Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night. 

Pep Guardiola's team looked unstoppable as they carved up the 10 men of Donetsk—Oleksandr Kucher was sent off in the second minute—with the might of a squad rammed full of quality in each and every position. 

At Bayern, like most giants of the European game, keeping egos happy and constantly rotating the first team is of utmost importance, but with the return of club captain Philipp Lahm imminent, a genuine question has now popped up that Guardiola hasn't had to address since last year: Where does Lahm fit into this Bayern squad?

For any other player, such a thought wouldn't stand much reason. Bayern always have and always will have quality players, and as such, most will have to bide their time. But when it comes to Lahm, someone will undoubtedly have to make way. 

What adds another aspect to this story is, of course, the manner in which the former Germany international can play across the midfield and in defence. Lahm could either play right-back or in central midfield in Saturday's clash with Werder Bremen, and it means someone will have to be dropped. 

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

The last time Philipp Lahm started in a right-back position for Bayern was on August 30 of last year in an ill-fated 1-1 draw with Schalke. Since then, the former Germany captain has played each and every available game—when fully fit of course—either as a holding, defensive midfielder or as part of a midfield three. 

As one of Guardiola's most trusted players, Lahm has unexpectedly thrived in the middle of the park since his introduction to the role last season yet there are genuine questions over whether there's any space for him in this current Bayern setup. 

To accommodate all the marvellous attacking talent in Bayern's squad, Guardiola tends to play a 4-1-4-1 formation that specifically emphasises the importance of four attacking midfielders in front of one, solitary holding midfielder and behind a single striker. 

This works perfectly for a team like Bayern because they only have one proper striker, an overwhelming roster of attacking midfielders and at the moment they only have one holding midfielder in Bastian Schweinsteiger—with Lahm's injury and the suspension of Xabi Alonso—to accommodate. 

Now that the club captain is back, Guardiola will either have to remove one of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller or Mario Gotze to put Lahm in as another central midfielder alongside Schweinsteiger or Alonso, or indeed revert back to a defensive three and play a 3-4-3 formation. 

The suggestion that Guardiola would happily return to a 3-4-3 formation seems like the most logical one, considering the players at his disposal, but also seems like the most unlikely when we consider how Bayern have shaped up this season.

Looking at Bayern's Bundesliga campaign thus far, the team have only played with a back three on six occasions from 24 games to a series of mixed results. 

There's very little to suggest Bayern are a lesser side when they play with three defenders at the back—both defeats this season have come with Guardiola playing a back four—but they certainly don't look as composed as the European champions of old when Jerome Boateng, Rafinha and either Juan Bernat or David Alaba are all that stands between the opposition and Manuel Neuer's goal. 

For now it looks as though Guardiola will stick with the back four that has done them well for the majority of this season, meaning Lahm may well find himself at right-back on Saturday in place of Rafinha, allowing Schweinsteiger and the midfield to remain intact. 

@Sbienkowski