A bitter evening for Jamal Musiala in Amsterdam. The Bayern star was actually supposed to start in the Nations League opener against the Netherlands. However, just a few minutes before kickoff, the 23-year-old had to pull out at the last minute. Following the 1-1 draw, Jürgen Klopp has now provided further details about the injury.
It had already become apparent during warm-ups that Musiala would not be able to play as planned. Shortly before kickoff, the German Football Association finally confirmed that the attacking player was complaining of thigh problems. Nadiem Amiri stepped in at the last minute to take his place in the starting lineup.
Initially, it was described merely as a precautionary measure. After the match, however, Klopp made it clear on RTL that Musiala needs to be examined more closely. A diagnosis is still pending.
Klopp: “It’s not a health issue.”
The national team coach first clarified that the current issues have nothing to do with the health problems that had been troubling Musiala during preseason.
“It’s not the same health issue. These are muscular problems; I was standing right next to him when it happened during the warm-up. He’s having an MRI. I hope we’ll get the diagnosis tonight. Of course, this isn’t great. We’ll have to see if he can stay with us,” Klopp explained.
For now, uncertainty reigns regarding the severity of the injury. The results of the MRI will be decisive. Only then will it be clear whether Musiala can remain with the DFB during the rest of the international break or will have to return to FC Bayern early.
The timing is particularly bitter for the 23-year-old. After a difficult preseason, he had recently fought his way back step by step. In the 7-0 win over Union Berlin, Musiala played the full 90 minutes for the first time this season and contributed a goal and an assist.
Bayern is awaiting the diagnosis
Klopp actually had a special plan for Musiala. While a large portion of his XXL squad will be rotated out after the first two Nations League matches, the Bayern pro was supposed to remain with the DFB for the entire international break.
This was intended to help Musiala build up additional training and match rhythm. Whether this plan can still be carried out is now in question.
At FC Bayern, the results of the examination are also being eagerly awaited. Following his previous health issues, the Munich club had recently been carefully reintroducing Musiala to full training loads.
Just one day before the match against the Netherlands, Klopp had emphasized that everything was back to normal for the Bayern star. Now there’s a new setback—this time explicitly of a muscular nature. It’s impossible to make a reliable estimate of how long Musiala might be sidelined until the MRI results are in.