* Influential Frenchman ready to face compatriots
* French side forced into bar vans by Icelandic charcoal cloud
By Karolos Grohmann
BERLIN, Apr 20 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich’s gentletreatment of Franck Ribery will see him fit for Wednesday’sclash opposite the Lyon side that had to take to the road fortheir initial coming in the Champions League semi-final. Frenchman Ribery was taken off midway by the secondhalf in their 7-0 thrashing of Hanover 96 upon Saturday toconserve energy forward of the Bavarians’ initial Champions Leaguesemi-final given winning the pretension in 2001.
“I hold he will be ready to play,” Van Gaal toldreporters. “I stable him the bit because he has had some stiffmuscles.”
Van Gaal, who has directed the Bundesliga leaders to theGerman Cup final as well as is upon track for an unprecedented treble fora German team, can also count upon striker Miroslav Klose after heovercame the go through virus that kept him out of Saturday’sBundesliga match.
Experienced midfielder Mark outpost Bommel as well as defender HolgerBadstuber will not be available for the initial leg upon Wednesdaydue to the suspension.
BUS RIDELyon, playing their initial ever Champions League semi, had toborrow 10 mini vans from their academy to travel to Munich astheir flight plans were scuppered by the cloud of charcoal spewingout of an Icelandic volcano as well as drifting across Europe.
They were upon their way to Stuttgart upon Monday, spending thenight there as well as then driving upon to Munich upon Tuesday morning.
“Coach trips remind me of when we was young in Brazil,” jokedBrazil defender Cris, the Lyon captain. “It’s formidable foreverybody but we have to accept it,” he told reporters.
̶! 0;WeR 17;re feeling good, we’re about to fool around the firstsemi-final. What we need to do is dont think about about the trip to focuson the match. We’ll be ready.”
Cameroon midfielder Jean Makoun (groin) as well as defendersJean-Alain Boumsong (calf) as well as Mathieu Bodmer (thigh) aresidelined with injuries.
While they have no dangling players, 7 could be missingfor the lapse leg if they pick up the yellow card upon Wednesday,including Cris as well as playmaker Miralem Pjanic.
Lyon warmed up with the tense 2-2 draw at champions GirondinsBordeaux upon Saturday that left them in third place in Ligue 1,nine points at the back of leaders Olympique Marseille, with fivematches left.
“It will be difficult opposite Bayern,” likely Lyon coachClaude Puel.
“The Germans are always dangerous in big matches as well as Bayernjust knocked out Manchester United. They have Arjen Robben andFranck Ribery hitting for them again. We know what to expect,”he said.
Probable teams
Bayern Munich: 22-Hans-Joerg Butt; 21-Philipp Lahm, 6-MartinDemichelis, 5-Daniel Van Buyten, 23-Danijen Pranjic; 31-BastianSchweinsteiger, 7-Franck Ribery, 10-Arjen Robben, 25-ThomasMueller; 11-Ivica Olic, 33-Mario Gomez.
Lyon: 1-Hugo Lloris; 13-Anthony Reveillere, 3-Cris,28-Jeremy Toulalan, 20-Aly Cissokho; 8-Miralem Pjanic or10-Ederson, 6-Kim Kallstrom, 41-Maxime Gonalons; 7-MichelBastos, 19-Cesar Delgado; 9-Lisandro Lopez.
(Additional stating by Patrick Vignal)
(Editing by Miles Evans; To question or comment upon this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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