Jamal Musiala walked off in Leipzig on Saturday with more questions than answers. Four days later, after a second collapse in as many pre-season matches, the 23-year-old typed his own answer straight to fans on Instagram.
The Germany international had gone down late on in Bayern Munich’s 3-1 friendly at RB Leipzig, then again in the second half of Tuesday’s 4-2 win over 1. FC Heidenheim, only minutes after coming on as a substitute. Both times he had to be helped from the field.
His post named the medical reason for the first time.
“The most important thing first: I’m doing well!”
“I have been diagnosed with brief, temporary but treatable absence seizures resulting from a neurological dysfunction.”
Musiala said neurological specialists had cleared him to keep playing and that continuing was his own choice.
“I am receiving the best possible medical treatment and am very optimistic. FC Bayern and my private circle are always by my side,” he wrote.
He stressed there was “no additional health risk beyond this” and asked for the details of his treatment to stay between himself, his family, the club and his doctors.
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What an absence seizure actually is
Absence seizures are brief lapses in consciousness, usually lasting only a few seconds. They are associated with a mild form of epilepsy historically known as “petit mal” and are commonly managed with anti-epileptic medication. Musiala framed his own episodes the same way, calling them “scary at first glance” but now part of his daily routine.
Saturday’s Supercup in Dortmund
Musiala’s Instagram post also said Bayern have stood by him throughout the diagnosis, and the forward is continuing to train while treatment goes on. Bayern face Borussia Dortmund in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on Saturday at Signal Iduna Park, with the Heidenheim scare their last pre-season friendly before the tie.
Whether Musiala is in the matchday squad in Dortmund has not been announced.
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