“First things first, I’m doing well.”

That was how Jamal Musiala opened his Instagram statement on Tuesday, the first public words from the 23-year-old since he went down without contact in two consecutive pre-season friendlies. The Bayern Munich forward said he had been diagnosed with brief, temporary but treatable absences caused by a neurological dysfunction, and that his club, his doctors and his family had signed off on his wish to keep playing.

He named both incidents.

“These can lead to the episodes that have occurred recently, such as against Leipzig and now in Heidenheim.”

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“The important thing is that there is no further health risk beyond this.”

The first collapse came on Saturday in Bayern’s friendly against RB Leipzig. On Tuesday, roughly eight minutes after coming off the bench against FC Heidenheim, he went down again.

A broken leg in Atlanta

To understand the alarm around Musiala, go back to 5 July 2025. In a Club World Cup quarter-final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, he chased a loose ball into the box just as Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma dived to claim it. The Italian landed on Musiala’s left leg, and the forward was carried off on a stretcher with a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle. He flew home to Munich for surgery and did not play for months.

Benched in Boston as Germany went out

Recovery took him all the way to the World Cup, but the tournament brought no reward. Musiala made Germany’s squad, then head coach Julian Nagelsmann left him on the bench for the round-of-32 tie against Paraguay on 29 June, preferring a more physical starting XI to match the compact South Americans.

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Germany went home from Gillette Stadium in Boston that night. Julio Enciso headed Paraguay in front, Kai Havertz equalised early in the second half, and after a goalless 30 minutes of extra time Paraguay won the shoot-out 4-3. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill saved from Havertz and Nick Woltemade before José Canale converted the decisive kick. Nagelsmann stepped down within days.

‘I have taken responsibility’

Bayern’s competitive season begins on Saturday, 22 August, with the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park. Kick-off is at 8:30pm local time.

Musiala did not commit to being available. What he did say was that he intends to keep training and playing while his neurologists monitor the condition, and that the decision is his.

“I have taken responsibility for that decision. Overall, I have a very good feeling and I’m on the right track.”

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