Ancelotti seeks return to form

Bayern Munich head coach Carlo Ancelotti is keen to see his side return to form and banish the memories of a pre-international break blip.

Heading into the two-week gap between games, Bayern suffered a 1-0 Champions League defeat away to Atletico Madrid, before held to a 1-1 league draw at home to Koln.

I’m not worried, (but) we need a fresh start after the international break.

Carlo Ancelotti

The Bavarians return to action after the international break with a Bundesliga trip to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday and Ancelotti is eager to see his squad return to the sort of form which saw them win their first eight games of the campaign.

The Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “We can trace the dip in form all the way back to the start of the season and the sheer weight of games we had to play.

“We couldn’t call on all our players and we paid the price for it in the last two games. I’m not worried, (but) we need a fresh start after the international break.”

Ancelotti could be boosted by the returns of as many as three key players for the resumption of the Bundesliga, with Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa and Javi Martinez all back in training.

Robben missed the international action due to a rib problem, as did Martinez because of an adductor muscle issue.

Meanwhile, playmaker Costa has been out of action for almost a month due to a hamstring injury.

Bayern are unbeaten in their last ten meetings with Frankfurt and have not conceded a goal in the last four games between the two teams in the Commerzbank-Arena.

Die Bayern are 1/4 to win the game on Saturday and are 4/5 to keep a clean sheet, with the visitors 5/1 to secure a 2-0 victory.