Italy forward Luca Toni will miss out on a return to former club Fiorentina in the Champions League on Wednesday night with bruised ribs and strained stomach muscles.

The 31-year-old was a firm fans favourite at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, scoring 47 Serie A goals in 67 matches over two seasons before moving to Germany.

`The recovery process hasn`t gone as quickly as we initially hoped it would, so Luca Toni is definitely out of the away trip to Fiorentina,` Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.

`Luca is continuing to receive intensive treatment from the medical unit. We hope to see him back in the team as soon as possible.`

His loss will be a big blow to the high-flying Germans who have seven points from three games and top Group F, ahead of Lyon on five and Fiorentina on two points with Steaua Bucharest propping up the pool on one.

The Italians desperately need to win the match or qualification will likely be almost impossible for them.

They have two draws and a defeat - a 3-0 reverse in Munich two weeks ago - from their three matches but with Lyon hosting the Romanians, anything less than a victory could leave them trailing the top two by a minimum of five points with just two games to play.

At least coach Cesare Prandelli can call on Serie A top goalscorer Alberto Gilardino again after the former AC Milan and Parma striker sat out the last two league matches with a suspension.

That was given to him for scoring a goal against Palermo with his forearm - although he was being fouled by a defender in the process.

Gilardino has put that issue firmly behind him now.

`The suspension, I don`t want to talk about that any more,` he said.

`Now it`s all in the past and I`m thinking only about Bayern which is a vital match for us.

`Many people have expressed their opinions about the suspension, I`ve let them speak as I`ve always done in the past. I think only about working hard and playing.`

Fiorentina failed to score in the two games in which Gilardino was sitting in the stands.

With nine goals in 11 matches this season in all competitions, Gilardino has become vital to La Viola, but he was keen to play down his importance.

`It`s not because I wasn`t there that the team didn`t score. I started well and if people make comparisons when I`m not there, that`s normal, but for me (Giampaolo) Pazzini had two good games, it depends on situations.

`Yesterday (Sunday) we were unlucky. You shouldn`t criticise Pazzini, he`ll score in the futue.

`However, I`m delighted that the fans are delighted I`ll be back on the pitch. Everyone has faith in me, the fans, the team, the club and that`s vital for me.`

Until Sunday`s defeat at Siena, Fiorentina had made a good start to their Serie A campaign and were amongst the front-runners, although they have now slipped to five points behind leaders AC Milan.

Bayern, for their part, were struggling in the bottom half of the German Bundesliga after winning just two of their first seven matches but they are now up to third following four wins in a row.

They have won Europe`s top club competition four times while Fiorentina`s best result was losing to Real Madrid in the final in 1957.

They did taste European success four years later, though, lifting the UEFA Cup.