Munich - Italy striker Luca Toni has been overlooked by Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal for the Champions League visit of Juventus on Wednesday. Although Toni has resumed full training, there is not even a place on the bench for the 32-year-old striker for the Group A showdown against the Serie A side.
"Our friend Toni is not with us. A player has to be 100 per cent fit," van Gaal said Tuesday.
"I have four other strikers, and that is also a reason."
Bayern are looking for a win in the Allianz Arena to open up a five-point gap on Juventus in a group also featuring Girondins Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa.
Bayern enjoyed a 3-0 win at Maccabi in their opening group game, while Juventus were held 1-1 at home by Girondins.
"A home game in the Champions League always has to be won," van Gaal said.
Winger Arjen Robben, who has been pronounced fit after a training break on Monday, said: "Juve will be a big test for us. We have to prove that we can play a good role in Europe."
Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger warned that Juve's former Werder Bremen midfielder Diego, who has returned to fitness, would have to be shackled.
"I think Juve are pleased he is fit again," he said.
"As in Bremen he is the key player. We'll have to be on our guard. If we can take him out of the game we will have achieved something."
Bayern do not have a good Champions League record against Juve, with three defeats in four meetings.
Van Gaal also has unhappy memories of Juventus after losing a Champions League final to the Italians in a penalty shoot-out when in charge of Ajax.
The coach told the Bayern club website the match would not in normal circumstances be out of the ordinary.
"I have to prepare the team beforehand, but I do it the same way no matter the opponents," he said.
"But I don't have particularly happy memories of Juve. When I coached Ajax Amsterdam, we lost to them in the Champions League final on penalties."
In the match in Rome in 1996, Juve's present coach Ciro Ferrara was a member of the side and scored one of the goals in the penalty shoot-out which ended 5-3 for the Italians after the match finished 1-1 following extra time.
Bayern have to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat on Saturday at Bundesliga leaders SV Hamburg, which has left them six points adrift.
"Defeat always has a negative influence," van Gaal said.
"We'd won five games in a row and our confidence had grown. We thought we'd be level with Hamburg by now, but instead, we are six points behind.
"But life goes on, and fortunately we have Juventus on Wednesday, when we can start winning again."
Juve will miss injured captain Fabio Cannavaro, while midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic, who has a tendon injury, has had to accept he won't be fit for the meeting against his old club.
"I am really sorry I can't play in front of the crowd which supported me for so long," the Bosnian, who played nine years for Bayern, said.
