The reason why Thomas Tuchel will not be in the dugout for Bayern Munich's Champions League group stage clash against Manchester United has been revealed.
Bayern take on Erik ten Hag's Red Devils at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening in what promises to be a blockbuster showdown between two giants of European football.
It will be the first time the two sides have met in Europe since 2014 when they went toe-to-toe in the quarter-final.
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Bayern ran out 3-1 winners that day - 4-2 on aggregate - to secure their place in the semi-finals thanks to goals from Mario Mandzukic, Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben.
The reigning Bundesliga champions will be hoping for more of the same this time out, but they will be without manager Tuchel for the contest.
That's because the German boss was sent off during the quarter-final second-leg tie with Manchester City back in April.
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Bayern played out a 1-1 draw with Pep Guardiola's side last season, but lost 4-1 on aggregate, with Tuchel at the centre of the drama.
The former Chelsea boss made his feelings clear to the referee after a a coming together between Aymeric Laporte and Kingsley Coman, resulting in a one-match ban which will be carried out against the Red Devils.
Ex-Chelsea coach Anthony Barry will take charge of Bayern from the touchline alongside fellow assistant Zsolt Low, who also worked under Tuchel in west London.
New summer signing Harry Kane is looking forward to his first European game with Bayern, but has stressed the danger of underestimating Manchester United, despite their poor form in the Premier League.
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"I know Manchester United are in a difficult moment, but sometimes teams like that are dangerous because they’re always looking to come back in a big way," Kane said.
"So we have to be prepared for them and of course we want to get the crowd behind us as early as possible on Wednesday. We are in front of our home crowd and will approach the game with a lot of intensity. The Champions League is always special and my first game with Bayern Munich will stay with me – so I hope it goes well."
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Topics: Thomas Tuchel, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Champions League, Football
Joe Adams