Bayern Munich’s brightest attacking player has been left out of the squad for the opening fixture of the German title defence. Vincent Kompany’s side host Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena on Friday, 28 August, with kick-off at 8:30pm local time.

Musiala has been training on his own since last Thursday and was expected to join in parts of team training during the week, but the coaching staff and medical department have judged the Stuttgart game too soon.

The 22-year-old collapsed twice in the space of four days during pre-season, first in the 3-1 Telekom Cup win over RB Leipzig on Saturday 15 August, and then again during the 4-2 friendly against 1. FC Heidenheim on Tuesday 18 August. The following day he posted a statement on Instagram explaining he had been diagnosed with brief, temporary but treatable absence seizures caused by a neurological dysfunction.

A condition Bayern have known about for a year

The revelation may have shocked supporters, but inside the dressing room it was not new. Sporting director Max Eberl said the club and the squad had been living with it for the whole of the previous campaign.

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“We’ve known about it the entire last season. The players also knew about it,” Eberl told reporters.

What changed in August was Musiala’s treatment. According to Kompany, an adjustment to the midfielder’s medication produced the side effects that caused the two collapses.

“With his treatment, he changed some things and that had some side effects,” Kompany said.

“That is normal that during treatment you try something else.”

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Eberl framed it in the same terms, saying the dosage had been reduced and was now being brought back up.

Musiala cleared to keep playing

In his own words, Musiala wanted to close down speculation and get back to playing.

“I have been diagnosed with brief, temporary, but treatable absence seizures,” he wrote, adding that they are “currently part of my everyday life” and that he is receiving excellent medical care.

Neurologists have cleared him to keep playing, with no further health risk involved.

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Bayern have not put a firm return date on the Germany international. He is expected to build up through partial team sessions before being reintegrated into the matchday squad.

Kompany’s opening-day headache

Musiala is not the only absentee Kompany has to plan around. The Bayern head coach is also without Bryan Zaragoza, Serge Gnabry, Lennart Karl, David Santos Daiber and Tarek Buchmann for the Stuttgart game.

Bayern go in with momentum, having beaten Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup for the first trophy of the new season. Stuttgart arrive after a 4-0 DFB-Pokal win over Hansa Rostock, with summer signing Dženan Pejčinović scoring a hat-trick on debut.

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