Bayern Munich will be without captain Mark van Bommel for Tuesday's Champions League clash at Roma.
Van Gaal yet to decide if Ribery will start in Rome
Bayern Munich will be without captain Mark van Bommel for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash at Roma, but Franck Ribery could start in Italy.
Holland midfielder Van Bommel is still suffering from the knee injury which has hampered him for the last month-and-a-half and kept him out of last week's international friendly win over Turkey.
Besides Van Bommel, manager Louis van Gaal will be also without the suspended Bastian Schweinsteiger, while star man Arjen Robben, striker Miroslav Klose, defender Holger Badstuber and forward Ivica Olic are all injured.
Having won all four of their Group E games so far, last season's Champions League runners-up, Bayern, have already qualified for the knockout stages, but they are determined to secure top spot.
Van Gaal said: "We'll see if he (Ribery) starts the match."
Title race
Bayern's success in Europe this season has been in stark contrast to the defence of their Bundesliga title as the eighth-placed outfit trail leaders Borussia Dortmund by 14 points following Saturday's 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.
And Schweinsteiger admits he and his team-mates need to take a hard look at themselves after Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal cancelled out Mario Gomez's opener.
"We threw it away in the first half," fumed Schweinsteiger, whose future is currently the subject of debate as he stalls on signing a new contract.
"That shouldn't be happening to a top team."
Van Gaal, though, is confident his team remain in the title race, as he said: "I think we still have a chance of the title, but Dortmund obviously have the best chance now."
