Thiago's time at the Allianz Arena has been defined by injury – he missed large chunks of his debut season with fitness problems before a knee injury last April left him sidelined for almost a year.
The former Barcelona star made his comeback earlier this month and started his first game of the campaign in Saturday's 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, with Bayern in the midst of an injury crisis.
Helmer, who played for the Bavarians from 1992 until 1999, believes Thiago complements the other members of Bayern's star-studded midfield perfectly although he called for expectations to be dampened until he is fully fit.
"Thiago has the speed; sure, Xabi Alonso and Bastian Schweinsteiger rarely make mistakes, but Thiago also has dynamism and is stronger in one-on-ones," he told Goal.
"Everyone at Bayern can handle possession, but with Thiago they can play faster and strikers Robert Lewandowski or Thomas Muller can benefit from him.
"I think he can play in an offensive role as well the defensive one, though he couldn't compete alone in defensive midfield. He'd need someone beside him like Schweinsteiger, Alonso or Philipp Lahm. But he is definitely the most creative player.
"People should not expect too much of him, though, as he has played only a little since his injury. His skills are undisputed, but he needs more game-time and training to get fit.
"The team's strong enough despite the injuries to win the Bundesliga. However, the Champions League will be much trickier."
Bayern face Porto in a two-legged Champions League quarter-final, with the first leg in Portugal on Wednesday, and Helmer has warned Bayern not to assume they will stroll into the semi-finals with ease.
"Porto haven’t lost any game in the Champions League this season yet," he added. "Bayern mustn’t underestimate them.
"They have developed into a team which produces top talent for the biggest clubs in the world in recent years, meaning they regularly lose their best players.
"But they still have plenty of talents coming through the ranks. If Bayern think it will be simple, they will have a very tough time of it."
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