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Thomas Tuchel backs Sadio Mane to prove his worth at Bayern after Julian Nagelsmann fallout.
After a reported falling out with former manager Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel has urged Sadio Mane to prove his value at Bayern Munich.
The Senegal international allegedly challenged Nagelsmann over his reduced role before the German was ousted by Bayern, having only seen eight minutes of play against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their round-of-16 Champions League tie.
Former Chelsea manager Tuchel was appointed as Nagelsmann’s replacement during the international break, and he expects Mane to regain the form that propelled him to prominence as one of Europe’s best attackers at Liverpool.
“He scored 20, 30 goals every year for Liverpool and was an absolute key player there. His quality is beyond any doubt,” Tuchel told reporters. “Even at his age, it always takes time to acclimate after a change of clubs. That can take time. There’s no doubt about his quality and what it can bring us. It’s about trust and patience so he can get back into the rhythm. A goal usually helps the confidence.”
In the last 20 minutes of their Der Klassiker triumph over Borussia Dortmund over the weekend, Tuchel substituted Mane off the bench. He immediately appeared energized as Bayern finished the game with a 4-2 victory to reclaim first place in the Bundesliga.
The forward has failed to re-establish himself as a starter since his comeback in February due to a leg injury that has forced him to miss significant amounts of the season. He underwent surgery to treat the ailment.
He will, though, be aiming to make a good impression on Tuchel in training so that he is given a bigger part in the crucial portion of the season.
Mane is expected to start for Bayern against Freiburg on Tuesday in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals.