Vincent Kompany recently learned the hard way that the body takes what it needs. Bayern Munich's coach caught a "pretty nasty virus" last week, "of course didn't listen to my body, and eventually my body said: 'Now stop it, lad!'" Too weak to do much else, Kompany largely coached Bayern's 6-1 win over RB Leipzig sitting down. He then spent the days before the 2-2 draw against Arsenal at home.
On Friday afternoon, Kompany reportedly collapsed after training at Bayern Munich's training ground on Säbener Straße, and reports said a helicopter was deployed. Bayern have not yet commented. Whether the incident is connected to Kompany's previous illness remains unclear.
Luis Diaz's body had apparently sent him a warning during the 6-1 win over Leipzig, when the forward was the outstanding player on the pitch with three goals, one direct assist and a contribution to the build-up of another goal.
Despite muscular problems, Diaz stayed on the pitch after Bayern used all their substitutions, even though he had been due to come off. "We were a little afraid that something had happened. We were actually lucky that he trained on Tuesday, though not at 100 per cent," Kompany explained on Wednesday before the match against Arsenal.
How long will Luis Diaz be out for Bayern Munich?
Diaz nevertheless came on in the 68th minute with Bayern leading 2-1. David Raya saved an early chance, but Diaz touched the ball only once more before sinking to the turf in the 90th minute after a sprint, his face contorted in pain. He had suffered a torn muscle bundle, an injury that very often results from physical overload. Now stop it, lad!
Against Leipzig, Bayern had no substitutions left when Diaz needed to come off. Against Arsenal, they brought him on despite his incomplete return to training, and he suffered a fairly serious injury.
Diaz is now likely to miss four to six weeks for Bayern. Until the international break begins on 9 November, every week brings a midweek fixture, including the important Bundesliga matches against SC Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund, the DFB Cup match against Magdeburg and the Champions League game against Atletico Madrid.
Without Diaz, Bayern face four to six weeks without the only player in their squad who has no direct backup. Was this a worst-case scenario they could have seen coming?
Getty ImagesWhy didn't Bayern sign a backup for Luis Diaz?
Bayern's squad planners did seriously consider signing an alternative to the Colombian, who is essentially never injured, during the summer. In Antony Gordon, they identified a versatile left winger as their top target for the transfer window, but the Englishman eventually moved from Newcastle United to Barcelona for a fee of €80 million. "Too expensive in the end," said sporting director Max Eberl, explaining why Bayern pulled out of the race to sign him.
Instead, Bayern signed Ismael Saibari, whose strengths lie primarily in central attacking positions but who, like Gordon, is versatile. Bayern ultimately promised the role of Diaz's backup to 20-year-old left winger Arijon Ibrahimovic. After a successful loan spell at Heidenheim, Ibrahimovic looked set for a squad rotation role at Bayern, but the club then loaned him to FC Augsburg at short notice.
The late change surprised Ibrahimovic and his agent Roman Rummenigge, as well as Luis Diaz. "Of course I always want to play. But if there's someone there who can help in my position, they're very welcome. It helps a lot when things aren't going well. Then your team-mate is there to help you, and you take turns. That's very important. I would have liked it. But, well, it didn't happen. We're good as we are, too," Diaz said in a September interview with Sky/RTL. A few days later, his national-team coach and Bayern granted him a special two-week break to recover from the exertions of the previous season, including the World Cup.
After the World Cup, Diaz had endured a brief dip in form and goalscoring, one he had only just played his way out of. Now he has an injury, his first since a serious knee injury at Liverpool in the 2022/2023 season kept him out for almost half a year.
Getty ImagesAlphonso Davies could now go "back to his roots"
Diaz's absence leaves Bayern short in an attacking department already hit by injuries. Jamal Musiala is still working his way back in training after a torn muscle fibre, while Serge Gnabry impressed against Arsenal but is not yet at 100 per cent after a persistent adductor injury.
Meanwhile, Lennart Karl is still searching for form after a torn muscle bundle in June that, like Gnabry, caused him to miss the World Cup. He nevertheless started on the bench against Arsenal, despite Musiala's absence, Michael Olise's suspension and the decision not to start Luis Diaz. The versatile Gnabry played on the right wing instead, while left-back Alphonso Davies deputised for Diaz.
Both impressed. Kompany revealed afterwards that Bayern had already considered Davies an option in attack during the summer, even though they had converted him to left-back only after his move from MLS to Munich. "We have good depth in defence and know that we can always use Phonzy on the wings too," Kompany said.
If Plan A was Luis Diaz and Plan B a summer signing, Davies now appears to be Plan C. That is working for now, although the Canadian has repeatedly struggled with injuries in the recent past and still has something to prove in terms of reliability.
Will Bayern sign a new left winger next summer?
Saibari has also played on the left wing twice this season after coming on as a substitute, while Gnabry can play anywhere anyway.
For now, Bayern should be able to cope with a month without Luis Diaz. But little else can go wrong. Otherwise, they may have to promote someone such as Tim Binder (19) permanently from the amateurs after he became the hero of the city derby in the second team's recent 4-2 win over 1860 Munich. He made the first-team squad for the first time against the Gunners.
Next summer, Bayern reportedly want to address the imbalance on the left side of their attack. According to Sky, they are considering Antonio Nusa of RB Leipzig.