Jamal Musiala to miss Bayern’s Bundesliga opener

Jamal Musiala will miss Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga opener against Stuttgart on Friday, extending his absence from competitive action at the start of the season. The 23-year-old is expected to return to full team training later this week, but that schedule rules him out of the first league match.

Musiala was also unavailable for Bayern’s first official fixture of the campaign, when they defeated Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup on Saturday. His absence follows two fainting episodes during pre-season matches. The midfielder has said he has been dealing with a neurological disorder for some time, adding a health issue to Bayern’s early-season selection concerns.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said the episodes happened within a shorter interval than usual after a change to the medication being used to treat Musiala. Doctors describe such episodes as brief and sudden losses of consciousness. They generally do not lead to long-term problems, occur more often among children and can be classified as a form of epilepsy.

A return to group training would represent progress, although Musiala’s playing comeback has not been fixed. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said his team-mate’s approach to the condition could make him an example for people beyond football, showing that high-level performance remains possible despite such difficulties. Kimmich also said Bayern’s entire squad would support Musiala during his return to the pitch.