Vincent Kompany's body recently forced him to stop. Bayern Munich's coach caught a "pretty nasty virus" last week but "of course didn't listen to my body, and then at some point my body said: 'Stop now, lad!'" Too weak to do much else, Kompany coached most of Munich's 6-1 win over RB Leipzig while sitting down. He then stayed at home until the 2-2 draw against FC Arsenal.
After training at Bayern Munich's grounds on Säbener Straße on Friday afternoon, Kompany is said to have collapsed. A helicopter is also said to have been deployed. The record champions have not yet commented, and it remains unclear whether the incident is linked to his earlier illness.
Luis Diaz's body had apparently warned him too during the 6-1 win over Leipzig, even as the forward stood out with three goals, one direct assist and a role in setting up another goal.
Despite muscular problems, Diaz stayed on the pitch because Bayern had already used all their substitutions. They had planned to take him 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?
Introduced in the 68th minute with Munich leading 2-1, Diaz quickly had a good chance saved by David Raya. He touched the ball only once more before sinking to the turf in the 90th minute with his face contorted in pain after a sprint. He had suffered a muscle bundle tear, an injury that very often results from physical overload. Stop now, lad!
Against Leipzig, Bayern had no substitutions left when Diaz needed to come off. Despite being unable to train properly afterwards, he came on against Arsenal and suffered a fairly serious injury.
The injury is likely to keep Diaz out for four to six weeks. Every week brings a midweek fixture before the international break starts on 9 November, including the important Bundesliga matches against SC Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund, the cup match against Magdeburg and the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
Diaz is the only player in Bayern's squad without a direct backup. Was this worst-case scenario waiting to happen?
Getty ImagesWhy did Bayern not sign a backup for Luis Diaz?
In the summer, Bayern's squad chiefs seriously considered signing cover for the Colombian, who is almost never injured. They had even identified versatile left winger Antony Gordon as their absolute top target for the transfer window. The Englishman ultimately moved from Newcastle United to FC Barcelona for a fee of €80 million. "Too expensive in the end," sporting director Max Eberl said, explaining why Bayern withdrew from the race to sign him.
Instead, Bayern signed Ismael Saibari, whose strengths lie mainly in central attacking positions but who, like Gordon, can play several roles. They ultimately promised the backup role for Diaz to 20-year-old left winger Arijon Ibrahimovic. After a successful loan spell at Heidenheim, Ibrahimovic was pencilled in as a rotation player at Bayern, only to join FC Augsburg on loan at short notice after all.
That decision surprised Ibrahimovic and his agent Roman Rummenigge at the time, and even 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 that's how 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 an interview with Sky/RTL in September. A few days later, his national-team coach and Bayern granted him two weeks of special leave to recover from the exertions of the previous season, including the World Cup.
After the World Cup, Diaz had suffered a minor dip in form and goalscoring but had only just played his way out of it. Now he has suffered his first injury since a serious knee injury at FC Liverpool in the 2022/2023 season, which kept him out for almost half a year.
Getty ImagesIt could now be "back to the roots" for Alphonso Davies
Bayern's attack was already depleted before Diaz's injury. Jamal Musiala is still in rehabilitation training after a muscle fibre tear. 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 muscle bundle tear in June that, like Gnabry, caused him to miss the World Cup. Despite Musiala's absence, Michael Olise's suspension and the decision not to start Diaz, Karl began on the bench against Arsenal. Instead, the versatile Gnabry played on the right wing and 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, having converted him into a left-back only after his move from MLS to Munich. "We are well covered in defence and know that we can always use Phonzy on the wings too," Kompany said.
If Diaz was plan A and a summer signing was plan B, Davies is apparently plan C. So far, it seems to be working. The Canadian has repeatedly struggled with injuries in the recent past, though, and still has something to prove in terms of reliability.
Will Bayern sign another left winger next summer?
Saibari has also played on the left wing twice after coming on as a substitute this season, while Gnabry can play anywhere anyway.
Bayern should therefore be able to cope with a month without Diaz, provided little else goes wrong. Otherwise, they may have to promote someone such as Tim Binder (19) permanently from the amateurs. He recently became the hero of the city derby in the second-string side's 4-2 win over 1860 Munich. Against the Gunners, he was in the senior squad for the first time.
Next summer, Bayern are said to want to address the imbalance on the left side of their attack. According to Sky, Antonio Nusa of RB Leipzig is under discussion.