Why Medhi Benatia Must Step Up for Bayern Munich Following Jerome Boateng Injury

When Jerome Boateng went to ground in the 56th minute of Bayern Munich's win against Hamburg toward the end of january, few may have imagined that a seemingly innocuous incident could have such enormous consequences. Yet the incident has been analyzed as a hammer blow to the club's treble aspirations, with Kicker (h/t ESPN) reporting the center back could be out for up to four months.

Bayern have been thin at center back all season long, with Dante having been sold to Wolfsburg over the summer and Jan Kirchhoff leaving for Sunderland last month. At the moment, Holger Badstuber and emergency loanee Serdar Tasci are the only fit, natural center backs in the squad.

Beyond Tasci, whose career has taken a downturn since his last appearance for Germany in 2010, as well as the injury-prone Badstuber, there are no fit options. David Alaba is an undersized option for the role, but his use in the center would leave Bayern without a left-back until Juan Bernat (who has missed nearly the entire season) is fit.

The other option is to use a midfielder in defense, but Xabi Alonso decidedly lacks the physical attributes (strength, size, pace and agility) to play effectively at center back, and Joshua Kimmich is a raw talent. Sebastian Rode has some experience at center back from his time at Eintracht Frankfurt, but Pep Guardiola has been reluctant to play him in any role this season.

Accordingly, the three-time defending Bundesliga champions are in quite a predicament at the back. Their central defensive options are far from ideal, and they're just one injury or suspension away from facing a full-on crisis in defense. For the time being, that is.

What Bayern need is a hero to step up and fill Boateng's boots. They're fortunate enough to have a player who can do that: Medhi Benatia.

This season, Benatia has been a bit of an afterthought. Like so many of his teammates, the Morocco international has struggled with muscular injuries, as two such ailments have limited his playing time to just 10 appearances (and 610 minutes played, per Transfermarkt) in all competitions. He hasn't played for months, but his return finally appears to be imminent.

Guardiola hasn't exactly favored Benatia during his tenure at the Allianz Arena, and perhaps it's the player's limited ability on the ball that has turned the possession-minded coach away from him. Yet when he comes back, there will hardly be any choice. All eyes will be on Benatia to fulfill the potential he showed upon signing for Bayern in the summer of 2014.

Michael Probst/Associated Press

When he joined Bayern, Benatia had just finished proving himself as the best defender in Serie A. Off the ball, he possessed a full range of qualities one would value in a defender. He had an imposing, 1.90-meter stature and strength to boot. But he also was quite quick and agile for a man of his size.

Most importantly, Benatia had learned how to defend and not rely on physicality alone to bail him out. Combined with his aggressive nature, his skill in the tackle and man-marking ability was top-drawer; even better, perhaps, than those of Boateng.

Mid-way through his second season in Munich, Benatia still hasn't been the player he was at Roma. The main problem, albeit a glaring one, has been his fitness. Yet he could well turn the corner in the weeks and months to come. Some players thrive under pressure; they need to be needed. And in this case, Bayern, now more than ever, need the Benatia who became a world-class defender during his time at Roma.

Bayern are fortunate enough to have a player of genuine talent who can replace Boateng, but now it's crunch time: Bayern's success, especially in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal, could rest on whether Benatia can make a quick return to form and fitness.

@Mr_Bundesliga