Bayern Munich: Is a goalkeeper switch imminent?

Not only the 2011 AFC Asian Cup is currently being held in Qatar and the ATP Qatar Open, but also German football giants FC Bayern Munich are having their mid-season training in the Gulf state. It has been a difficult second half to the year for coach Louis van Gaal and his players as many returned late to pre-season training after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

And that has effected Bayern's performances and results in the Bundesliga with especially Dutch international winger Arjen Robben missing after having been a sensation in his first season for the club. Now the team is regrouping in Qatar to try and salvage the Bundesliga season, while making a push in the UEFA Champions League and the German Cup.

And one bit of news out of the Bayern camp here in Doha has surprised many. Coach van Gaal is thinking about a goalkeeper switch between seasoned 36 year old Hans-Joerg Butt and the 22 year old youngster Thomas Kraft. Both keepers have a contract which runs until the end of the season with there being a possibility that Butt could retire then and Kraft is seen as a potential successor if Schalke's Manuel Neuer cannot be bought.

So van Gaal, who is known to give young talent a chance as he has done in Munich with Thomas Mueller, Holger Badstuber and Diego Contento; could now do it with Kraft as well, who has never played Bundesliga and only has two Champions League matches to his name. And van Gaal has started goalkeeping careers by giving young keepers in Edwin van der Sar at Ajax Amsterdam and Victor Valdes in Barcelona a chance.

It looks like van Gaal wants to try out Kraft and see if he has the qualities to be FCB No. 1 or if the club has to buy a new goalkeeper. The example of Michael Rensing failing as Oliver Kahn successor is still fresh in the minds of a number of persons.