Man City handed possible early Champions League boost as Bayern defender suffers new injury

Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies was taken off with a muscular injury in Saturday's Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, in a potential early Champions League boost for Manchester City.

Bidding to maintain their six-point lead over Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga table, Vincent Kompany's men got off to the dream start at the Allianz Arena.

Aleksandar Pavlovic and Harry Kane struck inside the opening 20 minutes for the German top-flight champions, who went into the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead to their name.

However, Bayern were then dealt a potentially serious blow when Davies was taken off with an unspecified problem in the 50th minute; the Canadian covered his face with his shirt as teammates surrounded him on the turf.

Davies was able to walk off unaided as he was replaced by Hiroki Ito, but the left-back's latest issue will no doubt raise concern for the remainder of the season and the World Cup.

Why Man City could benefit from Alphonso Davies injury

??? Alphonso Davies has suffered a new injury and will be assessed by FC Bayern staff. pic.twitter.com/rcjZQOBBTn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 21, 2026

Kompany will likely be asked for an update on Davies's problem in his post-game press conference, but the fact that the defender appeared distraught on the field does not spell optimism for hopes of a swift recovery.

Bayern will soon learn their Champions League knockout fate, as the draw for the last 16 of the competition takes place on February 27 following the conclusion of the playoff round second legs on Tuesday and Wednesday evening.

FC Hollywood will meet either Dortmund, Atalanta BC, Olympiacos or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, which could precede a quarter-final clash with Man City in the first two weeks of April.

While Bayern fans await an official diagnosis - and the outcome of the Champions League draw - there is a chance that the Bundesliga champions could be without their first-choice left-back for the UCL quarter-finals, against Man City, Sporting Lisbon or another opponent.

Davies's new injury is the latest in a long line of issues for the luckless 25-year-old, who missed the first four months of the 2025-26 season with an ACL tear and has also struggled with an illness this season.

The Canada international has only made 11 appearances for Kompany's side in all competitions in 2025-26 - claiming one assist - and he is yet to make a start in the Champions League.

How can Bayern Munich replace Alphonso Davies?

Bayern facing Man City without Davies would be a major blow to their hopes of advancing to the semi-finals, but the Canadian's frequent fitness issues means that the Bavarians are well-equipped to deal with the situation.

Fellow left-back Raphael Guerreiro has been struggling with a calf problem of late, but the 32-year-old is now back in training and would be an alternative option for the Champions League quarter-finals.

The versatile Josip Stanisic - a right-back by trade - could also fill in on the left-hand side of the defence, so Davies's possible absence should not prove fatal to Bayern's hopes of progression.