What Role Should Franck Ribery Play for Bayern Munich as the Season Progresses?

The year 2015 was a tumultuous one for Franck Ribery. Repeated debilitating injuries limited the Frenchman to just nine appearances for Bayern Munich over the course of the year, and he played a full 90 minutes on just three occasions.

His injuries in the spring, coupled with the fact that he had just turned 32 years of age, prompted the Bayern board to take action. In the summer, the German giants signed Douglas Costa. And while some players struggle to acclimatize, the Brazilian immediately took to life in Munich, quickly making Ribery a thing of the past. It was fortunate for Bayern, as the veteran only made two appearances during the fall campaign, casting serious doubt on his future at the Allianz Arena.

The question now is: How should Ribery be utilized by Bayern as the season progresses? It's an issue of hot debate.

That Ribery played at all this fall is something that some found detrimental overall. 

Kicker (h/t the Guardian's Raphael Honigstein) recently reported that Dr. Volker Braun had a falling-out with Pep Guardiola over the return of Ribery to action that promptly resulted in the player picking up an injury that will see him miss eight weeks. The winger will be unable to reap all the benefits of Bayern's midseason training camp this month as a result, and will only be fit in February. Maybe.

By the time Ribery returns, he'll have spent over a year with continued injuries that limited him to only a few hours on the pitch. He'll be fragile, as he proved when he made his recent return. So it would seem that treating him with kid gloves is the best idea, especially with Costa a more than adequate option in his stead.

Yet at the same time, it would be unwise for Bayern to play it too safe with Ribery if they're reserving the option of selling him in the summer. The player's €12 million, as reported by Bild's Christian Falk and Tobias Altschaffl (in German), wage is much too high to pay a benchwarmer, and Bayern would be financially savvy to offload him with an incentive to subsidize his wage.

In order to convince clubs Ribery is worth paying a moderate portion of his wage, the player will have to play and show he still has something left in the tank. Another injury setback, and any chance of a summer sale could go up in smoke.

The best option would be for Guardiola to trust the club doctors and play it carefully in February and early March. Even an extra month of training without actually playing may be a big help toward his fitness level, and it would still leave him with a couple months to show what he can do. Ribery should be used as a substitute in the important games, and as a starter in the Bundesliga once the title is wrapped up (quite possibly a few weeks early).

This isn't to say Ribery is beyond his utility. Actually, he's a class player who, unlike Costa and Kingsley Coman, actually has proved himself in a Champions League final: The veteran played a key part in both of his side's goals in the 2013 final. This experience and poise is something that can take the majority of a career to develop, and it could make a serious difference if Bayern's starters are unable to deliver the necessary goals.

The important thing is for Guardiola not to rush Ribery back into the team too fast. He's fragile now, that much is for sure. But if he's nurtured back into the side, he can be moved on with dignity in the summer. And if the opportunity arises, he could yet give the club one last gift in the Champions League.

@Mr_Bundesliga