Robben relaxed as Gotze set for Bayern debut

BERLIN. Arjen Robben has said Mario Gotze’s imminent league debut for Bayern Munich can only be a good thing for the defending champions ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga trip to Eintracht Frankfurt.Gotze, 21, came off the bench and scored twice for Bayern in Sunday’s friendly win at Hungarian champions FC Gyor, his first appearance since tearing a hamstring while playing for previous club Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last season.Having cost Bayern €37 million (USD $49.2 million), Gotze is another top name coach Pep Guardiola needs to accommodate in his star-studded midfield.Gotze is an option alongside Spain Under-21 captain Thiago Alcantara in an attacking midfield role, flanked by France winger Franck Ribery and Germany’s Thomas Muller, leaving Dutchman Robben on the bench.The 29-year-old, who scored Bayern’s winning goal in May’s Champions League final against Dortmund, who only returned to the starting line-up last season after injury to Toni Kroos, said competition for places is a healthy thing in the Bayern ranks.“It was our strength last season that we never lost our quality, even when players dropped out with injury,” Robben told German daily Bild.“You have to trust yourself and not be afraid of the opposition. And with a World Cup at the end of the season, even if you sit out the occasional game, it could be a positive thing at the end of the day.”With 10 full international midfielders in the Bayern squad, Brazil’s Luiz Gustavo was sold to VfL Wolfsburg, while Munich travel to a Frankfurt side who are licking their wounds just now.