Mario Gotze Injury: Updates on Bayern Munich Star's Rib and Return

Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze has been ruled out of Saturday's DFB-Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund after breaking a rib.

Continue for updates.

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Gotze Out of DFB-Pokal Decider

Friday, May 21

Omnisport (h/t Yahoo Sports) reported on Friday that Gotze would not feature against his former club due to the injury, although it wan't made clear how he suffered the setback.

Bayern Munich elaborated on the blow via their official Twitter account and added the injury wouldn't affect Gotze's hopes of featuring at UEFA Euro 2016 next month:

Gotze scored three goals and recorded four assists in 11 Bundesliga starts this season and will undoubtedly be frustrated by missing the opportunity to go up against his former club.  

In a way, it's only fitting Gotze's 2015-16 campaign should end on the sidelines, considering his woeful injury record over the past nine months.

According to Transfermarkt, he's already missed a total of 22 club matches this season, and that tally is poised to rise as he watches Bayern take on his old outfit at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Bayern travel to Germany's capital on Saturday looking to claim their third DFB-Pokal crown in the space of four years, and the loss of Gotze doesn't threaten to derail that bid too significantly.

Manager Pep Guardiola has become accustomed to making do without the 23-year-old this term, and he has plenty of alternatives among his order able to fulfil the same responsibilities.

That being said, the pressure is now on the likes of Xabi Alonso, Arturo Vidal and Thomas Muller to ensure they bring Bayern a steady support system through the middle as they look to build on their Bundesliga triumph.