Bayern Munich head into the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund without Jamal Musiala, and the 23-year-old's health has dominated the club's pre-season narrative. Musiala collapsed twice during pre-season tests against RB Leipzig and FC Heidenheim, prompting him to publicly reveal a neurological condition involving absence epilepsy. Coach Vincent Kompany confirmed the incidents were triggered by a medication adjustment rather than a deterioration in his condition, and the club says Musiala has trained individually this week while the new dosage settles. Kompany was notably positive about the minutes Musiala did play before each collapse, describing his touch as a level above his teammates, and expects him back in the squad for the Bundesliga opener against Stuttgart on 28 August.

Beyond Musiala, Bayern arrive at Signal Iduna Park as Double winners in strong pre-season form, having won four of their last five tests including a 4-2 victory over Heidenheim. On the squad front, João Palhinha's exit is close to being finalised, with Benfica the likely destination at a reported fee of around 14 million euros, a steep loss on the 51 million Bayern paid for him. Meanwhile, Harry Kane's contract extension is progressing well, with the main sticking point being the length of the deal rather than wages. Kane, fresh from winning the Golden Boot and returning from World Cup leave, has signalled talks will conclude soon. Sporting director Max Eberl confirmed the club still wants Sacha Boey and Bryan Zaragoza to leave before the window closes.