It is all but confirmed that Nigeria-eligible striker Joshua Zirkzee will be omitted from Bayern Munich's starting lineup when they battle Paris Saint-Germain in European club football's showpiece this evening.

The Netherlands youth international does not command a place in manager Hans-Dieter Flick's starting XI, with unarguably the best number 9 in the world at the moment Robert Lewandowski his preferred candidate to lead the attack.

Of the 12 appearances Zirkzee has made for Bayern Munich's first team since his debut, nine came from the bench and he was named in the starting lineup three times only because Lewandowski was unavailable for selection through injury or suspension.

Rohr believes Zirkzee can be a quality back-up to the Polish striker and namechecked the teenager as he discussed the players who can make a difference from the bench.

When quizzed if the French stars on the bench could be decisive for Bayern, Rohr told Abendzeitung Munchen : "The big squad is generally an advantage for Bayern. Joshua Zirkzee is also a good alternative to Robert Lewandowski in attack.

Since joining Bayern Munich from Feyenoord in the summer of 2017, Zirkzee has been involved in 74 goals (50 goals, 24 assists) in 89 games for Bayern Munich's teams.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel