Thomas Müller should take the place of injured Jamal Musiala in Bayern Munich's Champions League first leg quarter-final match against Inter Milan on Tuesday, several former Bayern greats have said.
Ex-captains Stefan Effenberg and Lothar Matthäus, as well as their former striker Mirosslav Klose said that Müller was the ideal candidate, and that fielding him would also be a reward of sorts for his 25 years at the club before a summer exit.
"I wish that he gets this big stage once more," Effenberg said on Sport1 TV.
"He has fulfilled many dreams, became world champion, won the Champions League. But this final at home has a huge significance for Thomas Müller," he added in reference to the final on May 31 being played in Munich's home stadium.
Bayern announced on Saturday that club icon Müller would not have his contract renewed for the next season, citing squad planning for the future. Müller said in a separate statement he had wanted to continue.
Müller, 35, has played a club record 743 matches for Munich where he arrived 25 years ago. He won 33 trophies and played and scored in the 2012 home final which Bayern lost on penalties against Chelsea.
But Müller has only been fielded sporadically this season by coach Vincent Kompany.
Müller came on for Musiala in Friday's Bundesliga match at Augsburg, and with Musiala now possibly sidelined for up to eight weeks with a hamstring tear, he is a candidate to take his place on Tuesday and beyond.
Effenberg said he was not only calling for Müller to play for sentimental reasons but "because he is so on fire. I would really field him."
Matthäus, who captained Germany to the 1990 World Cup title, agreed, saying on Sky TV that "I also believe that he will start against my other ex-club Inter Milan, because he has good form."
German record international Matthäus said he also expects "something special around Thomas Müller" on Tuesday.
Klose, who won the 2014 World Cup with Müller and is now coach of second division Nuremberg, said that "every coach is happy to have Thomas Müller on the pitch.
"He doesn't have the quality of Musiala, those dribblings. But he has a cleverness on the pitch to recognise spaces. He's predestined (to play)," Germany and World Cup record scorer Klose said.
"It's a shame that he's leaving Bayern in the summer. I really enjoyed playing with him."
