Bayern Munich dealt injury blow ahead of Bundesliga opener with new signing set for emergency surgery

Bayern have been dealt an untimely blow ahead of their Bundesliga opener against RB Leipzig. New summer signing Tom Bischof, 20, has undergone emergency surgery to remove his appendix and will miss Friday night’s curtain-raiser at the Allianz Arena. The midfielder, who joined from Hoffenheim and made his debut in the Supercup win over Stuttgart last weekend, was unexpectedly sidelined just hours after coach Vincent Kompany told reporters that his entire squad was fit. Bayern confirmed the operation on Tuesday evening, ruling Bischof out for the foreseeable future.

While an appendectomy is not a long-term injury in footballing terms, the timing is disruptive, as this is the second major injury for the Bavarians in a very short span of time after Jamal Musiala got injured. Kompany had been easing Bischof into Bayern’s star-studded midfield, seeing him as part of the club’s next generation alongside Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlovic. His absence may slightly limit Bayern’s rotation options against a physical Leipzig side that thrives in midfield battles. 

Bischof is one of Germany’s brightest midfield talents. A Hoffenheim academy graduate, he became their youngest-ever Bundesliga debutant in 2022 at just 16 years old, and by last season had racked up 25 Bundesliga appearances. He has also represented Germany at youth level and is already on the radar for a senior national team breakthrough. Off the pitch, the youngster has made headlines after recently confirming his relationship with Josefine Scholl, daughter of Bayern icon Mehmet Scholl.