Xabi Alonso wants Bayer Leverkusen to grasp their “first chance” to claim a maiden Bundesliga title but insisted he is not attaching any extra significance to the visit of Werder Bremen.

Victory for Leverkusen on Sunday would guarantee the club’s first top-flight title in their 120-year history although they would be crowned champions if Bayern Munich and Stuttgart both lose on Saturday.

With five rounds of fixtures to go after this weekend, Leverkusen have plenty of opportunities to make club history in a season where they have stitched together a 42-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

But while Alonso is keeping the same mantra he has had throughout the campaign, the Spaniard would take some comfort in Leverkusen sealing the crown at the first attempt.

“Obviously there’s this special aspect to the game on Sunday,” Alonso told a press conference.

“We have the chance to be champions. But we’re only focusing on the game itself and want to play with our usual quality and mentality. We don’t want to think too much about eventualities.

“We’ll prepare normally for the game. Luckily, it’s not the only chance we have to be champions. But we’re playing at home and want to take our first chance.

“We’ll approach the game with full respect, because nothing is a given. Our heads are now on Bremen. We’re in a good situation and are focusing fully on Sunday.”

A 25th victory in 29 league games in this campaign will likely lead to an outpouring of celebration from fans at the BayArena and a possible pitch invasion.

“The most important thing is that the fans can celebrate properly,” Alonso said when asked about the prospect.

“They deserve that. But we still have a few games left to play on this pitch. We need the pitch still.”

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel said he will avoid Bayer Leverkusen securing the Bundesliga title on Sunday by watching Arsenal’s Premier League match against Aston Villa instead.

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen are on the brink of being crowned champions and host Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Even if Bayern beat Cologne at the Allianz Arena a day earlier, Leverkusen – 16 points clear with just six matches remaining – will take their first title by seeing off Bremen.

However, Tuchel, whose side host Cologne fresh from a pulsating 2-2 Champions League draw at Arsenal on Tuesday night, will have his attention elsewhere.

“I won’t be watching the Leverkusen game on Sunday,” he said. “I’ll watch Arsenal.”

The Champions League is the only trophy still up for grabs for the German giants following a disappointing domestic campaign.

And ahead of the quarter-final return leg in Munich on Wednesday, Tuchel has hinted he will rotate his side for the visit of Cologne.

“We’ve got several days between Cologne and Arsenal, but there’s the consideration to throw in some other players and make some changes,” said the former Chelsea manager, who is leaving Munich at the end of the season.

“If we make changes, then it’s more to give players some match rhythm for Wednesday and not to rest anybody.”

Leroy Sane is among those unlikely to feature on Saturday.

The former Manchester City winger impressed for Bayern at the Emirates on Tuesday night before he was substituted in the second half.

“It’s about how much pain he can tolerate,” added Tuchel of Sane.

“We geared everything towards him being able to play for Arsenal. He was an important factor there and played a great game.

“Since he showed a reaction, we’re focusing on him on Wednesday. The plan is for him to return on Sunday or Monday. But if he plays, he’ll show a reaction in his pubic bone again, which will remain the case for the time being.

“It’s clear what assets and talent the boy has. But we’ve been waiting for him to score a competitive goal since October. He got off to an outstanding start to the season, but he’s slowed down a bit.

“The expectations before the Arsenal first leg were huge and he delivered. We expect him to keep pushing himself, then he’ll be a key player for us.”

Tuchel will watch Saturday’s match from the stands after he was shown a fourth yellow card of the season in last weekend’s shock defeat to Heidenheim.

Cologne are four points from safety and Bayern are unbeaten in their last 19 meetings against their opponents on Saturday.

Alexander Nubel has signed a new long-term contract with Bayern Munich and has agreed to stay on loan at Stuttgart for the next two years.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper joined Bayern from Schalke in 2020 and has spent this season on loan with Stuttgart, who are third in the Bundesliga and level on points with Nubel’s parent club.

Bayern said on their official website: “Alexander Nubel has extended his contract at FC Bayern by a further four years to 30 June 2029, with his original deal set to run until summer 2025.

“An agreement has also been reached with VfB Stuttgart that he will remain there on loan for another two seasons.”

Nubel made four senior appearances for Bayern before spending two seasons on loan in France with Monaco and this season established himself as first choice at Stuttgart.

“I’m very happy about this decision and the trust that FC Bayern has shown in me,” Nubel said. “At the same time, I feel very good in Stuttgart. I want to enjoy success with VfB and take my next steps personally.”

Florian Wirtz should follow Xabi Alonso's lead and reject interest from Europe's top clubs to stay at Bayer Leverkusen beyond this season, says former Germany international Carsten Ramelow.

Wirtz has been one of the standout performers in a remarkable campaign for Leverkusen, who are just one win away from clinching their first Bundesliga title.

The attacking midfielder has 18 goal involvements in 28 league outings this term (eight goals, 10 assists), with his latest goal coming from the penalty spot in Saturday's win over Union Berlin.  

Among all Bundesliga players, Wirtz ranks third for successful dribbles (77), fifth for chances created (70) and fourth for expected assists (9.23 xA) this season.

His performances have won him plenty of admirers, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid among those credited with an interest in the 20-year-old.

However, after seeing head coach Alonso reaffirm his commitment to Leverkusen, Ramelow, who made over 400 appearances for Die Werkself between 1995 and 2008, thinks Wirtz should follow suit. 

"For Leverkusen, he is indispensable," the 2002 World Cup finalist told Stats Perform. "The same goes for the national team, where he has found a good role. 

"There's a lot of speculation. When you're in great form, the big teams come knocking. Leverkusen hope he will continue with them for a while and move on after that. 

"In my opinion, it would be good for his development to stay in Leverkusen, because you can see if young players leave too early, it is not always good."

With Alonso refusing to jump ship, Ramelow feels Leverkusen still have plenty to offer Wirtz, saying: "To show consistent performances, you have to be where you feel happy, and I think Leverkusen is a good place currently. 

"They are so consistent. They have a lot of confidence and also a pinch of luck in the final moments to win games. That's really good. You have to look at the collective, the coach and his staff.

"But of course, Wirtz is a very young player who showed his talent many times over the last few years. He has made really good development and has lots more to come.

"Why not continue on that path for another one, two, maybe even three years and make the next step afterwards? This is what I think is the right way, but we will see what decision Wirtz takes."

Remarkably, Leverkusen are yet to lose a game in any competition this season. They have just six further games to navigate in the Bundesliga, while they will face second tier Kaiserslautern in May's DFB-Pokal final and are among the favourites to win the Europa League.

 As Leverkusen look to banish the ghosts of 2001-02 – when they finished as runners up in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League – Ramelow says all the credit lies with Alonso.

"When he arrived in Leverkusen, he was facing a few problems, which is normal. I think you have to give managers some time in this day and age," Ramelow said.

"That is what they did with him. He explained his philosophy and ideas very well to the team. The boys execute that really well. 

"The whole package is in perfect harmony. The season they have played is phenomenal. Their streak is sensational and it looks like they will do this until the end. 

"Every team has a bit of a lapse every season, but Leverkusen have been exceptional across all competitions. They can still win everything. Things are looking really good."

Florian Wirtz’s penalty took Bayer Leverkusen to within touching distance of the Bundesliga title as Bayern Munich squandered a two-goal lead to leave the leaders 16 points clear.

Wirtz struck from the spot eight minutes into added time at the end of the first half after Christopher Trimmel had handled to secure a 1-0 win at Union Berlin, who had seen Robin Gosens dismissed for a second bookable offence minutes earlier.

Xabi Alonso’s men could win the league next weekend, when they face Werder Bremen on Sunday, a day after Bayern host Cologne with both sides have just 18 points to play for.

The reigning champions, who set out this season looking for a 12th successive title, conceded further ground as they went down 3-2 at Heidenheim.

Harry Kane’s 32nd league goal of the season and Serge Gnabry’s strike had given the visitors a healthy half-time lead, but goals from Kevin Sessa and Tim Kleindienst inside a minute dragged the promoted side back into it before Kleindienst snatched a famous victory 11 minutes from time.

Serhou Guirassy’s 64th-minute strike sent third-placed Stuttgart level with Thomas Tuchel’s side on points courtesy of a 1-0 win at Borussia Dortmund, who dropped out of the top four as a result.

Lois Openda claimed a double to help RB Leipzig maintain the pace in the race for a Champions League spot with a 4-1 victory at Freiburg.

Openda’s contribution came in between Amadou Haidara’s first-minute opener and Benjamin Sesko’s strike nine minutes after the restart with substitute Vincenzo Grifo reducing the deficit.

Lee Jae-sung scored twice to help Mainz to a 4-0 home win over bottom-of-the-table Darmstadt with Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Brajan Gruda also on the scoresheet, while substitutes Steffen Tigges and Luca Waldschmidt struck at the death as Cologne recovered from Felix Passlack’s opener to beat Bochum 2-1.

AC Milan maintained their seemingly vain pursuit of Serie A leaders Inter Milan with a regulation 3-0 win over 10-man Lecce.

Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud gave the Rossoneri control inside the first 20 minutes at the San Siro before the visitors had Nikola Krstovic dismissed, and Rafael Leao wrapped up a fifth successive league victory 12 minutes after the break.

Gianluca Mancini handed Roma boss Daniele De Rossi victory in his first Derby della Capitale as he headed home Paulo Dybala’s corner to clinch a 1-0 victory over Lazio.

In Ligue 1, Emmanuel Sabbi’s late penalty ensured Le Havre emerged from their trip to Lens with a 1-1 draw as he cancelled out Przemyslaw Frankowski’s opener to further dent the home side’s hopes of a top-four finish.

Bayern Munich suffered another Bundesliga defeat as they let a two-goal lead slip in a 3-2 loss to Heidenheim.

Bayern took a 2-0 advantage into half-time after goals from Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry, but Kevin Sessa and Tim Kleindienst both struck for the hosts early in the second period.

Kleindienst grabbed the winner with 11 minutes to play, putting another dent in Bayern’s already slim Bundesliga title hopes as Thomas Tuchel’s side fell 16 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen with six games to go.

The defeat means Bayern head into Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg with Arsenal on the back of successive defeats.

Bayern had an early effort when Gnabry found Leon Goretzka, who had his shot blocked, and Gnabry was the creator again minutes later, but Thomas Muller – making his 700th competitive appearance for the club – was unable to reach the cross at the back post.

Heidenheim had a chance from a corner but although the delivery was cleared, Kim Min-jae did well to block Jonas Fohrenbach’s shot from the rebound and Muller came close at the other end after pouncing on a loose ball with his eventual shot deflected for a corner.

Bayern took the lead in the 38th minute when Kane latched on to Gnabry’s flicked cross from the right and the England captain tucked the ball into the bottom corner to score his 32nd Bundesliga goal of the season.

They doubled their lead seven minutes later as Alphonso Davies fired in a cross from the left to an unmarked Gnabry in the centre of the box and the Germany winger easily headed the ball past Kevin Muller.

Heidenheim made a triple substitution at the break and the changes immediately paid off when Sessa came off the bench to pull one back in the 50th minute after the midfielder pounced on a loose ball and broke forward to slot home.

They equalised just one minute later through Kleindienst, who got on the end of a deep cross from Jan-Niklas Beste to poke the ball in at the right post.

Bayern tried to restore their lead when Kane’s strike was saved by Muller and substitute Mathys Tel nearly made an instant impact but was also denied by a solid save from the home goalkeeper.

Kane then blasted the ball wide from inside the box.

Heidenheim were also pushing for a winner when Beste picked Sessa out but Sven Ulreich saved his shot and Beste was involved again, curling a free-kick just over the crossbar just minutes later.

Kleindienst then fired the hosts in front in the 79th minute, when Marvin Pieringer teed-up the striker, who rolled the ball into the far bottom corner to seal three points.

Bayer Leverkusen are one victory away from a first Bundesliga title after edging past 10-man Union Berlin.

Florian Wirtz scored the only goal of the 1-0 victory deep in first-half injury time after Robin Gosens was shown a red card.

Union succeeded in keeping it to one but, with Bayern Munich losing again, it was enough to move Xabi Alonso’s side 16 points clear at the top of the table with six games remaining.

Frederik Ronnow had made fine saves from Borja Iglesias and Alex Grimaldo before the game burst into life in first-half injury time.

First Gosens, who had been booked early on, was shown a second yellow card for a foul just outside the box.

The resulting free-kick caused chaos in the Berlin penalty area and, after a VAR check, the referee ruled Christopher Trimmel had handled and pointed to the sport, with Wirtz making no mistake.

Leverkusen had the majority of the play in the second half as they sought a second but Ronnow refused to be beaten again, saving impressively from Nathan Tella and Iglesias.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has ordered his players not to “mope” as they attempt to finish a difficult season with a Champions League final trip to Wembley.

The reigning Bundesliga champions head for promoted Heidenheim on Saturday with Tuchel having admitted after last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat by Borussia Dortmund that their hopes of securing a 12th successive league title are over.

Leaders Bayer Leverkusen are 13 points clear of second-placed Bayern with just seven games remaining, but Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Arsenal represents an opportunity to rescue the campaign.

Tuchel told a press conference: “We want competition and the opportunity to make things happen tactically. You need alternatives for that. I’m really unhappy with the way we played against Dortmund.

“There’s no reason to hide away and mope. We’ll carry on, we tried to push the team again. We’ll carry on to the end with our heads held high.

“As unsatisfactory as the season has been, we still have one goal, which is to get to Wembley. We have to give it our all every day.

“We can’t let our conviction and ambition drop even one per cent. We’re unhappy with the situation, but we’ll do everything we can to squeeze the maximum out of it.”

Heidenheim, who lost 4-2 in the reverse fixture in November having fought back from Harry Kane’s first-half double to level at 2-2, will host Bayern in the Bundesliga for the first time, and Tuchel knows that will present its own challenges.

He said: “We need to show a reaction, do the basics again. That’s how we put the Dortmund performance behind us.

“We’ll see a classic David v Goliath game tomorrow, an emotional stadium that supports the home team. Of course, there’s a game after this that we’re looking at.

“If we want to achieve our Champions League dream, we have to deliver top performances every day, tighten up every day. We’re not going to let anyone off the hook.”

Bayern will be without the injured Manuel Neuer, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, Noussair Mazraoui and Aleksandar Pavlovic for the game at the Voith-Arena, and all five remain doubts to face the Gunners.

The hosts, who sit in 11th place, will have to do without the suspended Nikola Dovedan, who has been handed a two-match ban following his dismissal in last Sunday’s 3-3 draw at Stuttgart, while fellow midfielder Norman Theuerkauf is ill.

Head coach Frank Schmidt told a press conference: “Bayern Munich, as the German record champions, is of course something special for the club and the fans with their many outstanding players and as a club as a whole.

“But in the end it’s like this: we have seven match days to go and nothing has changed in our approach. We still need points and we want to get them as quickly as possible.”

Denis Undav's last-gasp Bundesliga leveller salvaged a 3-3 draw for Stuttgart against Heidenheim, who thought they had completed a remarkable turnaround moments earlier on Sunday.

Undav's 98th-minute equaliser kept Stuttgart four points clear of fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund as Sebastian Hoeness' side continue to chase Champions League qualification.

Hoeness’ side appeared to be cruising after ‪Serhou Guirassy and Angelo Stiller were both on target at MHPArena, though Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nubel's own goal laid the foundations for late drama.

Tim Kleindienst capitalised with two quick fire goals to snatch an unlikely Heidenheim lead with five minutes remaining, yet Undav provided the last twist to snatch a share of the spoils.

Stuttgart thought they had managed an eighth-minute opener when Guirassy powered home from the edge of the penalty area after Undaz’s offload, though a VAR check ruled the strike out for offside.

Undav's threaded pass then found Chris Fuhrich but his driven effort was saved well by Kevin Muller, though Hoeness' side eventually found the breakthrough just before the interval.

Guirassy arrived in the perfect position to convert a delivery from Stiller, who placed the ball on a plate for the 41st-minute opener.

Stuttgart doubled their lead after the break as a sensational move ended with Stiller playing a smart one-two with Undav, before the German midfielder slotted the ball under Muller.

Heidenheim were gifted a glimmer of hope as Nubel made an inexplicable mistake when failing to hold Kleindienst’s header – and the visiting striker would further punish the hosts.

Kleindienst fired home a volley from a Jan-Niklas Beste cross in the 84th minute, before powering a header into the back of the net from Eren Dinkci's centre just moments later.

Yet with just seconds remaining, Undav pounced inside the box to unleash a thunderous shot into the bottom corner, salvaging a late point for the hosts.

Thomas Tuchel admitted Bayern Munich are out of Bundesliga title contention after a 2-0 defeat in Der Klassiker left them 13 points adrift of league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Karim Adeyemi struck early on before Julian Ryerson sealed a 2-0 win for Borussia Dortmund, their first at the Allianz Arena since 2014, as Bayern’s bid for a 12th league title in a row was left hanging by the thinnest of threads.

For Tuchel, who will leave the Bavarian giants at the end of the season, the matter has already been settled. When asked if they were out of the running for the league crown, he told Sky: “Obviously, yes.

“After this game there is no more need to count points. How many is it now? Congratulations to Leverkusen.”

Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen’s head coach, this week rebuffed speculation linking him with former clubs Bayern or Liverpool as the Spaniard publicly committed his future to his current employers.

They looked set for a first defeat in 39 matches in all competitions after going behind at home to Hoffenheim as Maximilian Beier gave the visitors a 33rd-minute lead they held until the closing stages.

Robert Andrich equalised with two minutes left, lashing home a bobbling effort, and Leverkusen sealed a 2-1 win in added-on time, as Patrik Schick reacted fastest to volley home Nathan Tella’s cross before their hopes of a maiden league title were given a further shot in the arm by Bayern’s setback.

Raphinha’s second-half goal helped Barcelona edge out 10-man Las Palmas 1-0 to close the gap on LaLiga leaders Real Madrid to five points.

Barcelona saw two goals chalked off for offside and Robert Lewandowski hit the bar but Las Palmas had goalkeeper Alvaro Valles red carded for a crude challenge on Raphinha outside his box after 25 minutes.

Xavi’s side were unable to initially capitalise on the extra man but Joao Felix came off the bench and provided a delicately-weighted ball over the top for Raphinha to head into the net in the 59th minute.

AC Milan extended their winning run to six matches with a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in Serie A on an emotional night at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

There had been tributes before kick-off to Fiorentina general manager Joe Barone, who collapsed in the team hotel just as they were preparing to travel to the stadium for the match against Atalanta and later died in hospital.

The Rossoneri produced a clinical display with second-half goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Rafael Leao either side of Alfred Duncan’s equaliser to consolidate second place in the table.

Third-placed Juventus slipped six points behind Stefano Pioli’s team after losing 1-0 to Lazio, who sealed all three points thanks to Adam Marusic’s strike three minutes into stoppage time.

Lazio claimed both the three points and also struck a psychological blow ahead of Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg between the two teams in Turin.

Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title hopes were left hanging by a thread after they fell 13 points off the pace as Borussia Dortmund claimed their first win at the Allianz Arena for a decade.

After leaders Bayer Leverkusen hit back to edge out Hoffenheim, Dortmund claimed a 2-0 win in Der Klassiker thanks to goals from Karim Adeyemi and Julian Ryerson to leave Bayern’s title defence in tatters with just seven games left in the season.

Harry Kane was wasteful on his return from an ankle injury that had ruled him out of England’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, twice heading wide when it might have been easier to score, while Dortmund were indebted to a star performance from 35-year-old Mats Hummels on his return to Bavaria.

The former Bayern defender made a record 29th Der Klassiker appearance and produced an acrobatic stop to deny Eric Dier to ensure Adeyemi’s 10th-minute opener separated the sides at the interval.

Hummels made a series of important interventions to break up Bayern attacks before Ryerson struck seven minutes from time as Dortmund claimed victory at the home of their rivals for the first time since 2014.

To rub salt into the wound, Kane, who bagged a hat-trick in Bayern’s 4-0 win in the reverse fixture in November, looked to have pulled one back late on, only to be ruled offside by VAR.

Leroy Sane and Kane both passed up chances as Bayern controlled the early running, but they were caught cold after losing possession in opposition territory and Dortmund quickly broke up field.

Julian Brandt slotted in Adeyemi, who dispatched a first-time effort from a narrow angle with his left foot that Sven Ulreich, deputising for Bayern captain Manuel Neuer, got a hand to but could not keep out.

Buoyed by their opener, Dortmund went on the attack again, but Hummels dragged wide after being teed up by Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho before Kane passed up a gilt-edged chance to draw Bayern level.

Joshua Kimmich’s cross needed just a strong header from the unmarked Kane, but he instead glanced wide, while former Tottenham team-mate Eric Dier saw a point-blank header denied on the line by a flying boot from Hummels before Emre Can hooked clear.

Dier had not made the cleanest of connections at the back post, but it still needed a remarkable intervention from Hummels, who instinctively threw up his right leg to deny his fellow defender.

Kane had a quiet first half but was in the thick of the action after half-time when he unselfishly squared for Alphonso Davies, who made a hash of his effort and the ball sailed harmlessly wide.

Dortmund, though, should have given themselves some breathing room, only for Felix Nmecha’s close-range effort to be terrifically palmed away by Ulreich, who made amends for his role in Dortmund’s goal.

It might have been a costly miss, but Kane directed a header at the back post from a corner wide of the target.

Kingsley Coman’s fierce strike was tipped over by Alexander Meyer, just Bayern’s second effort on target as they continued to be thwarted before Ryerson effectively sealed the three points for Dortmund.

Following good work from Sancho on the left, the ball was spread to the right and Sebastien Haller laid it off to Ryerson, who from the edge of the box lashed low across Ulreich and into the net.

As Bayern fans headed for the exits in their droves, Kane thought he had pulled one back after heading home from Noussair Mazraoui’s cross, but VAR ruled he had strayed slightly offside, epitomising his and Bayern’s fortunes on a forgettable night.

Late goals from Robert Andrich and Patrik Schick helped Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen hit back from behind to beat Hoffenheim 2-1 and keep their unbeaten season intact.

Xabi Alonso’s men looked set to slip to their first defeat of the campaign after brilliant skill from Maximilian Beier gave the visitors the lead in the 33rd minute.

The hosts, boosted by the news this week that Alonso has decided to stay at the club, hunted for an equaliser with Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann making a string of superb saves.

Borja Iglesias hit a post for Leverkusen after 87 minutes but they finally made their breakthrough moments later when Andrich lashed home a bobbling effort from the centre of the box.

The goal was good enough to extend their record unbeaten run to 39 games but Alonso’s side wanted more and they snatched the three points in the first minute of injury time.

The ball was played to the right flank where Nathan Tella delivered a cross behind the Hoffenheim defence and Schick reacted fastest to volley home from close range.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has committed his future to the Bundesliga leaders for another season to quash talk of a potential summer switch to Liverpool or Bayern Munich.

The 42-year-old former Reds midfielder has guided Leverkusen through an unbeaten season so far as they boast a 10-point advantage over reported suitors Bayern, with Liverpool also having been linked with the Spaniard in their search for outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp’s successor.

But speaking at his Friday press conference, Alonso said: “This is the right place for me to be. I will stay at Bayer.”

Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane has been passed fit for Saturday’s showdown with arch rivals Borussia Dortmund at Allianz Arena.

Kane suffered an ankle injury in Bayern’s Bundesliga victory over Darmstadt earlier this month, but still joined up with the England squad for the recent international break.

The England captain sat out the team’s loss to Brazil at Wembley last Saturday and returned to Germany after being released early from the national squad.

After the former Spurs striker was able to resume light training with Bayern on Monday, club boss Thomas Tuchel has now confirmed he will face Dortmund in this weekend’s ‘Klassiker’ in Munich.

“Harry trained fully with the team yesterday, has stepped things up each day. It’s all fine, he’ll play,” Tuchel told reporters on Friday.

The prognosis for Manuel Neuer is not as positive with the veteran goalkeeper still absent after he tore a muscle in his left adductor during training with Germany last week.

Tuchel did confirm Neuer is expected to return for the trip to Heidenheim on April 6, which would raise the prospect of the 38-year-old being available for their Champions League quarter-final fixtures with Arsenal.

Tuchel said: “Manuel Neuer is out.

“It’s nothing to do with risk. The pain is simply too great. We hope a week is enough and he’ll be in goal against Heidenheim.

“Aleks Pavlovic is unfortunately not available. Raphael Guerreiro also isn’t back yet, and Sacha Boey got injured during the week.”

Bayern welcome fourth-placed Dortmund with a 10-point deficit to try and cut to Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who host Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Yet Tuchel played down any suggestion his team could lack motivation and pointed to the importance of the fixture.

“The break in March always comes at an unfortunate time as you’re preparing for the end of the season. Everyone’s fighting for position in the decisive weeks. Now it’s time to show what we’re about,” the former Dortmund boss said.

“The table is how it is, but we can win the Klassiker. It’s an emotional game, an important game in the Bundesliga with a big rivalry and history.

“I’m expecting an opponent that wants to win. Dortmund are very good in attack, very flexible up front.

“They want to have the ball. It’ll be an open game. That’s what we think. There’s a good mood and atmosphere. We were very good in attack in recent games. We want to win.”

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane will make a return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face his former club in August.

A friendly game between the German giants and Tottenham will take place as part of the Visit Malta Cup on Saturday, August 10.

The match marks a return to north London for Spurs’ all-time leading goal-scorer, who joined Bayern for £100million last summer.

Team-mate Eric Dier will also face his former club after the defender left for Bayern in January.

A statement on the Tottenham website read: “This mouth-watering curtain-raiser to the new season takes on extra significance, with the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, Harry Kane and long-serving defender Eric Dier having recently joined the Bundesliga champions.

“This will be a 12th meeting with Bayern in our history and only the fourth to have taken place on home soil.

“We memorably overcame the German giants on our way to UEFA Cup success 40 years ago.”

England captain Kane has been impressive in Germany this season, scoring 37 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions.

He leads the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with 31 so far for Bayern, who currently sit second, 10 points off league leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the table.

Last time Bayern and Tottenham met was in the 2019/20 Champions League group stage and Spurs were beaten 7-2 at home before Bayern won 3-1 in the reverse fixture.