Bayern Munich head into their Champions League clash with Arsenal carrying more off-pitch weight than usual. Joshua Kimmich will miss the match at the Allianz Arena after a bereavement in his immediate family, a blow that goes well beyond tactics. Michael Olise is also absent, serving a suspension earned from a needless red card against Viking Stavanger that cost Bayern a winning position in Norway. Head coach Vincent Kompany, meanwhile, has been battling a viral infection and hip pain severe enough to keep him off the training pitch entirely on Tuesday, leaving his assistants to take the final session.

On the field, Bayern arrive at this fixture in reasonable but imperfect form. The 6-1 demolition of RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga underlined their attacking power at home, yet the 3-3 draw in Stavanger exposed a vulnerability that Arsenal will have noted. In the Champions League table, Bayern sit tenth with four points from two games, while Arsenal arrive with a perfect six points and a clean sheet in both outings.

Off the pitch, the club is managing a broader transition. Manuel Neuer, 40, is expected to retire at the end of the season, and the debate around his successor Jonas Urbig continues to divide opinion among pundits. Bayern are also scouting backup goalkeeper options, with Fabian Bredlow of Stuttgart among those linked. Despite the disruptions, the club's leadership remains publicly confident, and the Allianz Arena remains one of the most difficult venues in European football.