Bayern Munich Faces RB Leipzig with Jamal Musiala’s Possible Return

Jamal Musiala is poised to make his long-awaited return from a significant injury when Bayern Munich visits RB Leipzig this Saturday.

The 22-year-old forward has been absent since suffering a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle during the Club World Cup in July. Musiala has resumed full training and head coach Vincent Kompany is hopeful he will make his season debut.

“If everything goes well today, he’ll be there. That’s a wonderful development,” Kompany remarked at a pre-match press conference. “He radiates positive energy, and at this moment, even the small victories are greatly appreciated. Jamal is currently experiencing this renewal, just like Alphonso Davies. My priority is to ensure the safe reintegration of both players.

“Eventually, they will regain their pre-injury form. Continuous play enhances fitness, but this period has allowed him to rebuild his body and enhance his mobility and speed. Injuries often provide an opportunity to return even stronger.”

However, the unbeaten league leaders are facing selection challenges, particularly at right-back, as Konrad Laimer sustained a calf injury during stoppage time of Bayern’s 3-1 victory over Cologne.

Laimer underwent a scan in Munich the following day, which confirmed a torn muscle in his left calf, sidelining him for several weeks. With Josip Stanisic also unavailable, Joshua Kimmich, who missed the match against Cologne, may be called back into action.

“We have multiple absences at right-back, but we have managed similar situations in the past,” Kompany noted. “There are several players capable of stepping into that role. Early in the season, we also dealt with numerous absences at left-back.

“While the players will miss several games, the situation could have been worse. Josip Stanisic and Konrad Laimer will return soon. We are still evaluating Joshua; he might even be available for tomorrow’s match. It’s a bit of a puzzle we need to solve right now.”

In their previous encounter this season, Harry Kane netted a hat-trick, leading Bayern Munich to a 6-0 triumph over Leipzig. Since then, Leipzig has climbed to third in the Bundesliga standings. Their captain, David Raum, reflected, “We are a completely different team compared to the one that faced Bayern earlier.

“We are now more stable and have improved our patterns of play with and without the ball. Playing at home will motivate us to compete boldly.”