Why Robben Is the Bayern Munich Player with Most to Prove After Winter Break

With just three days left before the Bundesliga restart, Bayern Munich are now making final preparations for the grueling spring campaign.

Following a tough period prior to the winter break in which he saw his squad decimated by injuries, Pep Guardiola will welcome back several key players in his squad to face Hamburg on Friday. Competition for starting roles will again be heavy and may only increase as more return to action in the coming weeks.

Among the returning stars is Arjen Robben, who due to a muscular injury missed his side's last six games of the first round. The Dutchman is a household name among football fans worldwide, his brilliance over the last decade or so making him a star of utmost repute. Yet as he returns to action, the winger will be under a type of pressure he's never faced before.

A couple of hours after the Hamburg game, Robben will celebrate his 32nd birthday. It may be a happy time on a personal level, but for his playing career the number 32 isn't exactly welcome. This is the age at which neuromuscular velocity on average begins to decrease. In simple terms, it's when players' acceleration starts to decline. For a winger like Robben who's long relied on pace, it's a serious hurdle to overcome.

Robben's place in the Bayern lineup may at first seem completely safe; after all, he has arguably been the club's best player since his move from Real Madrid in 2009. The club has risen and fallen with him: His heroics led them to the 2010 Champions League final, and his inability to convert in 2012 saw Bayern finish runners-up in three competitions. When Bayern finally won the Champions League final in 2013, he was the man who assisted the opener and scored the winner.

Yet Robben will be wary given recent events in Munich. A year ago, Franck Ribery looked untouchable and was the same age. He'd missed a few games early in the season but regularly featured for most of the fall campaign. Then in March, disaster struck as he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of action until December. In the meantime, Bayern signed Douglas Costa, and the Brazilian has made his teammate appear a thing of the past. Injured again, Ribery's future in Munich is uncertain.

Most players don't suffer debilitating injuries, but Robben was once before known as a "glass man," and age only increases the occurrence of joint and muscle damage. The pressure on the Dutchman is as much on his body as it is the rest of him. He only featured in 12 matches in all competitions during the fall, with a pair of muscular injuries keeping him sidelined for long spells.

Kingsley Coman, meanwhile, shot to stardom in Robben's absence. And at 19, he has the potential to become much better sooner than later. With a ready-made replacement waiting, and with that same player having made a good impression of himself, Robben will have to be careful not to avoid losing his starting role.

Beyond the immediate competition with Coman, Robben will be aware that Carlo Ancelotti is soon to join the Bavarian giants, and that a new coach could opt for a new style of play without the Dutchman as a major part of his plans. This spring will be a chance for Robben to appeal to the incoming trainer that he's still worth building plans around.

Finally, in a Bayern team that is fast changing, Robben will know this spring could be his last chance to be the man for the Munich giants. Costa and Coman are on the rise, and many of the players who starred during the era of "Robbery" are either gone or on their way out. Especially with the coaching change, things could be very different in Munich in the not-so-distant future. Robben knows what he has now, but past the spring there is plenty of uncertainty.

As such, Robben will be under plenty of pressure heading into the spring campaign. He's not a player to shy away from a challenge and in the past has done well to confront his demons and overcome even steep obstacles. We'll soon see whether he still has it in him to be the game-changer Bayern fans have loved over the last six-and-a-half years.

@Mr_Bundesliga