Injury concerns at FC Bayern remain high. The German record champions currently have four key offensive players sidelined. Ahead of the Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid, sporting director Max Eberl has now provided a comprehensive update on Ismael Saibari, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, and Luis Díaz. There is both bad and good news.
Saibari’s absence is particularly significant. The 25-year-old suffered a torn syndesmotic ligament during the 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund and subsequently had to undergo surgery. Gnabry also got injured in the Bundesliga classic and will be out for an extended period.
The outlook is somewhat better for Musiala and Díaz, however. Both attacking players are already working toward their return and have recently been able to complete individual training sessions with the ball. Eberl has now specified when Bayern can expect these two key players back.
Saibari will be out for up to four months – Gnabry won’t return until 2027
The worst news concerns Ismael Saibari. According to Eberl, the summer signing is expected to be sidelined for three to four months.
This means the Moroccan is unlikely to be an option for Munich again until February 2027 at the earliest. Depending on how his recovery progresses, his return could even be pushed back to March.
The situation regarding Serge Gnabry is now clear as well. The 31-year-old will not play again this calendar year following his muscle injury to the back of his left thigh.
Eberl confirmed that Gnabry will be sidelined until the winter break. This means the forward will miss Bayern Munich’s remaining competitive matches in 2026.
These are two significant setbacks for Munich, especially since their options on offense are limited to begin with.
Hope for Musiala and Díaz: Comebacks are getting closer
The update on Jamal Musiala is much more encouraging. The 23-year-old is expected to return to team training during the upcoming international break. If his rehabilitation continues to go according to plan, Musiala could then make his competitive comeback.
The national team player suffered a torn muscle fiber in his right thigh while playing for the DFB at the end of September. Bayern is taking a deliberately cautious approach to his return to avoid a recurrence of the injury.
Luis Díaz is also making progress. The Colombian suffered a minor muscle tear during the Champions League match against Arsenal.
According to Eberl, the plan is for Díaz to rejoin team training after the international break. However, it remains unclear when the winger will be able to play his first competitive match.
For FC Bayern, this means that the tight personnel situation could ease somewhat, at least over the course of November.
Until then, the Munich team will have to continue improvising. In particular, the long-term absences of Saibari and Gnabry are significantly limiting their options on offense.