Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez has played down injury concerns over centre-back Pepe, in a turn of events which may impact on any potential move by fellow Blancos defender Sergio Ramos to Manchester United.
Real's preseason tournament timetable saw the club beat Tottenham 2-0 on Tuesday night, and then return to the Allianz Arena 24 hours later for the final against a Bayern team which was at close to full strength.
Pepe was substituted just 15 minutes into Wednesday's 1-0 loss against Bayern with an apparent thigh muscle problem, and is set for tests on his return to Madrid with the squad on Thursday.
Should the Portugal international, 32, be unavailable for the start of Madrid's La Liga campaign at Sporting Gijon on Aug. 23, it could further complicate the much-talked-about possible move of Ramos to Old Trafford.
The Blancos boss suggested to his club's website after the game that Pepe had picked up a problem in the game against Tottenham, while saying that the early substitution against Bayern had been a cautionary move.
"Pepe already had a strain yesterday, and to avoid an injury we took him off," Benitez said.
With Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema unavailable due to injury, Benitez left Gareth Bale on the bench for the full 90 minutes in Wednesday's match, even as Madrid struggled to get into the game against a Bayern side who were well on top for long spells.
Although some players such as Toni Kroos, Marcelo, Isco and Ramos played a significant part of both games, when asked about Bale's non-appearance Benitez said nothing should be read into it.
"The players who played yesterday, it was not recommendable for them to play today," he said.
Asked if Benzema, a reported Arsenal target in recent weeks, would be fit the La Liga kickoff in just over two weeks' time, Rafa was non-committal.
"I don't know," he said. "We will see how he recovers."
The former Liverpool, Chelsea and Napoli boss did suggest that there might still be changes to his squad before the summer transfer window shuts at the end of August.
"We have a good team, but coaches always want to improve," he said. "Until Aug. 31 the market is open."
Asked what players might leave the Bernabeu outfit, Benitez said that last January's €14 million signing Lucas Silva would be going on loan as James Rodriguez, Danilo and Casemiro will be taking the club's three non-EU squad spots for the new campaign.
"Lucas Silva will be going out as he is not an EU citizen," he said.