Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has confirmed injured midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will miss Saturday's German Cup final against Borussia Dortmund in Berlin while striker Mario Mandzukic has been dropped. "Schweinsteiger is injured, he has had a little knee problem since the match against Stuttgart (last Saturday) and Mandzukic is my decision," Guardiola said in a press conference on Friday at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Bayern's vice-captain Schweinsteiger has not trained all week with a knee strain and Guardiola said he still expects the defensive midfield star to play for Germany at next month's World Cup. "This is our last game, so you would have to speak to the coach (Germany's Joachim Loew), but I hope he will go to Brazil," said Guardiola.
Guardiola's decision to leave Mandzukic out of the Bayern squad draws questions about the Croatia striker's future in Munich with Poland striker Robert Lewandowski set to join Bayern from Dortmund at the end of the season. "He did not train on Monday and Tuesday but he could have played in the final," said Guardiola with Mandzukic, who is under contract until 2016, having scored 33 goals in 55 league games since joining Bayern from Wolfsburg two years ago.
"Again, this is my decision, that's all. I have 18 players for the big game." This is not the first time Bayern have dropped Mandzukic this season after the 27-year-old, Bayern's top scorer for the last two seasons, was left out at the start of the year following a series of poor training performances. Guardiola refused to be drawn over German media reports Bayern are set to sign Chelsea's Brazil defender David Luiz. "This is neither the time nor the place to be talking about that," said Guardiola. "I have to focus on my first final of the German Cup.
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