It’s a bitter pill to swallow for FC Bayern and its defensive gem: Cassiano Kiala will not be able to play again this season
As reported by tzzunächst, the 17-year-old suffered a syndesmosis tear during the Algarve Cup with the German U17 national team. In the match against hosts Portugal (0:1), the central defender had to be substituted after just 32 minutes
According to Sky, it is now clear that Kiala’s season is over. A break of at least three months is currently expected, ruling out a comeback before the summer
Setback comes at an inopportune time for Kiala
The injury has come at the worst possible time for the talented defender. Kiala has been training regularly with the professionals under Vincent Kompany since this season and made his Bundesliga debut in the 4-0 win at Heidenheim on 21 December 2025. In recent months, he has worked his way ever closer to the professional squad
Kiala is regarded as one of the biggest defensive talents on campus. He brings pace, strength in tackles and qualities in building up play, but still needs to improve physically compared to Bayern’s star defenders such as Dayot Upamecano or Jonathan Tah. His market value is estimated at around two million euros, and several international clubs are said to be keeping a close eye on the central defender’s development
Pavić moves into focus
FC Bayern are reacting internally to the season’s loss. According to Sky, 16-year-old Filip Pavić from the U17s will train with the professionals more often in future. The youngster will thus get the chance to show himself in the first team
For Kiala himself, it’s now rehab instead of match practice. Especially in a phase in which he wanted to recommend himself for further appearances, the long forced break is a tough break.
