FC Bayern will be without Serge Gnabry for the final stretch of the season – and the diagnosis is a tough one. The attacking player has torn his adductor muscles in his right thigh and will be out „for a long time“. The 30-year-old is therefore not only facing a premature end to the season, but his participation in the 2026 World Cup is also suddenly on the line
Munich confirmed the injury late on Saturday evening, but – as usual – refrained from giving a specific downtime. However, the wording chosen leaves little room for optimism
An adductor tear is one of the more serious muscle injuries in professional soccer, and depending on the severity, the downtime can be between four and twelve weeks
As reported by kicker, Gnabry could miss the rest of the season in the worst-case scenario. Particularly explosive: preparation for the World Cup could also be massively affected
According to BILD, Bayern expect Gnabry to be out for at least two to three months, which would effectively rule him out of the World Cup. According to Sky, Gnabry could even be out for up to four months
Injury comes out of nowhere
Gnabry was still in the starting line-up for the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday, but although he was substituted after around an hour, there were no concrete signs of an injury at the time
Just one day later, the international even appeared in public – together with Joshua Kimmich, he attended the BMW Open tennis tournament in Munich
According to BILD, Gnabry suffered the injury in secret final training on Saturday afternoon behind the screen at Säbener Straße
The diagnosis comes at an extremely sensitive time for FC Bayern. Gnabry has been a key part of the record champions‘ attack this season, scoring ten goals and providing eleven assists in 37 appearances
With his dynamism, goal threat and flexibility, he was one of the key players in Vincent Kompany’s system – especially in a phase in which Bayern set a historic goalscoring record in attack
Also a key member of the DFB team
Gnabry has played a key role not only at FC Bayern but also in the national team of late, starting all six games in the World Cup qualifiers and also featuring in the recent test matches against Switzerland and Ghana
This makes the current injury all the more serious – because it could set the attacking player back for the World Cup of all things
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann will announce his squad for the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico on May 12 in Frankfurt, with the DFB squad playing their first match against Curacao on June 14
For FC Bayern, the absence means another challenge in the battle for titles, as coach Vincent Kompany will have to rebuild his attack once again – especially with a view to the cup semi-final and the Champions League duel against Paris Saint-Germain.