Jamal Musiala will not travel with Bayern Munich for their DFB-Pokal first-round tie away to VfL Osnabrück on Wednesday night, Sky Germany reports. The attacking midfielder has been omitted from the squad as the Bundesliga champions maintain a cautious approach to his comeback.
Head coach Vincent Kompany had spoken positively about the 23-year-old on Tuesday and refused to rule out a surprise return. Despite leaving that possibility open, Bayern have now decided that Musiala will remain out of the squad for the time being.
Gradual reintroduction
Musiala has already missed Bayern’s opening two matches of the new season. Wednesday’s fixture will therefore mark a third consecutive absence at the start of the campaign. During pre-season he collapsed twice after suffering absence seizures connected to a neurological condition. The episode has forced the Germany international to follow a carefully managed programme away from full team drills.
On Wednesday morning, while the squad made final preparations for the trip to Lower Saxony, Musiala completed an individual training session at Säbener Straße. Bayern intend to reintroduce him to the demands of competitive football gradually, and there is no suggestion that he will be rushed back before the medical staff are fully satisfied.
Bayern begin cup defence
The match against Osnabrück marks Bayern’s first competitive fixture in this season’s DFB-Pokal. Although the hosts play in the 3. Liga, early-round cup ties frequently produce surprises, so concentration will be required from the players who do make the trip.
Without Musiala, Bayern lose one of their most creative midfield options, but the squad retains enough depth to navigate the tie. The immediate focus for the club is clearly on ensuring the player returns only when it is entirely safe to do so.