Bayern Munich head into the weekend as Bundesliga leaders, level on 14 points with Borussia Dortmund after six games, but the mood around the club is complicated by a mounting injury list and a Champions League position that leaves room for concern. The 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Allianz Arena was a creditable result given the absences, yet it left Bayern 14th in the Champions League table with five points from three games, and Dietmar Hamann has publicly doubted whether the club can finish in the top eight and avoid the playoffs.

The most pressing problem is the fitness of the squad. Luis Diaz sustained a small muscle tear in his left hamstring during the Arsenal match and will be out for an estimated four to six weeks, covering a run of fixtures that includes Freiburg, Borussia Dortmund, a DFB-Pokal tie against Magdeburg, and the Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid. Jamal Musiala remains in recovery from a muscle injury, and Serge Gnabry, though he performed well against Arsenal, is not yet fully fit. Michael Olise served a suspension for the Arsenal game, and his long-term future is also a topic, with Lothar Matthäus urging the club to extend his contract and raise his salary significantly or risk losing him.

Against that backdrop, Harry Kane delivered another extraordinary performance, scoring from the spot and providing an assist, while Thierry Henry called him simply different after Kane executed a goalkeeper's clearance during the game. The Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday adds another layer of anticipation around the club's talisman. Bayern travel to Freiburg on Sunday.