Bayern Munich have been dealt a blow ahead of their eagerly awaited Champions League clash with Arsenal. Belgian coach Vincent Kompany missed training and the pre-match press conference with a viral infection, though the club hope he will recover in time to lead the side on Wednesday.
The German club confirmed in an official statement on Tuesday that Kompany had been told to rest because of the infection, ruling him out of the training session and the pre-match press conference before the third round of the league phase.
Kompany had watched Bayern's crushing 6-1 win over Leipzig last Saturday in the Bundesliga from the substitutes' bench, nursing a thigh problem, while his assistant Aaron Danks ran the team during the match.
Danks took charge of training and will also front the press conference in Kompany's place. He did the same job last season, when the Belgian served a suspension for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Olise absence
Bayern will also be without French winger Michael Olise against Arsenal, leaving the rest of the squad to cover for him in one of the standout fixtures of the European round.
Harry Kane has urged his team-mates to seize the chance and take responsibility. The England striker stressed that losing a key player hurts the team, but it opens the door for others to prove themselves.
Kane said: "When one of the key players is absent, you certainly feel the difference, but in moments like these, other players must take responsibility and seize the opportunity. Others can step in, and we hope they carry out the task to the fullest."
The fixture matters hugely to both sides, each chasing a stronger position in the league phase. Bayern can also lean on history for a psychological edge: Arsenal's last win in Munich came back in 2013.