Ribery, Rafinha back in the frame

Ribery (L) and Rafinha return from injuries and will be eager to make a contribution

BERLIN. Franck Ribery and Rafinha look set to provide Bayern Munich with a timely boost by returning for today’s visit of Hamburg.
David Alaba is glad that Franck Ribery and Rafinha are back in the first-team picture at Bayern Munich as they prepare for today’s Bundesliga match against Hamburg. The duo were back in training on Monday to boost a Bayern side who have faltered since the mid-season break, with three games yielding just four points. Ribery and Rafinha have missed all of those matches, the Frenchman having sustained a thigh injury and the full-back having damaged ankle ligaments.
But with those injuries behind them and a week of training under their belts, the two look set to feature as Bayern seek to reassert their authority in the league.
“We want to move on up. We’ll prepare well this week and then hopefully give our fans at the Allianz Arena something to shout about,” defender Alaba told the club’s official website ahead of the 100th meeting between Bayern and Hamburg.
“It’s good to have Franck and Rafa back. We need them as they’re both very important players.” Bayern will not need any reminding of the difficulties that Hamburg can pose, with September’s meeting ending goalless.