Bayern Munich will be without star midfielder Jamal Musiala for its upcoming Bundesliga clash at home against VfB Stuttgart.
The 21-year-old playmaker hasn't featured for Vincent Kompany's team since its 1–0 away defeat to Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League league phase in Oct 2. Musiala came off the bench to provide a spark in the second half at Villa Park but it wasn't enough for Bayern to get a result from the match.
Bayern struggled to see out a win on the road again against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, drawing 3–3 at the Deutsche Bank Park on Oct. 6 without Musiala. The six-time Champions League winners will hope to get back in the win column but face a tough task of doing so without Musiala, who remains sidelined with a hip injury.
When Will Jamal Musiala Return From Injury?
Kompany confirmed in his press conference on Friday that Musiala won't be in the squad against Stuttgart but didn't say when the youngster could return to the mix.
"Jamal Musiala will not be available tomorrow. He has not recovered from his injury yet," the former Burnley boss said.
Since Musiala isn't available for the Stuttgart clash, Bayern probably won't want to rush him back from injury in its midweek Champions League bout against Barcelona. If he is close to full fitness, then we could see him return next weekend in the Bundesliga at VfL Bochum.
Potential Jamal Musiala Replacements for Bayern Munich
While it's difficult to replace a player of Musiala's quality, Bayern do have a few players who are capable of taking on the No. 10 role in Kompany's side.
New signing Michael Olise typically plays a right-winger to cut onto his preferred left foot, but he's shown before that he can play centrally if needed. The 22-year-old continues to impress at the Allianz Arena with four goals and two assists in Bundesliga action this season.
The legendary Thomas Müller is also more than capable of playing as an attacking midfielder even if he's not as quick as he used to be at 35-years-old. Müller has logged one goal and one assist in six appearances this term, remaining an influential player in Kompany's squad with a wealth of experience.
In the first half against Aston Villa, Kompany deployed Olise through the middle. However, against Frankfurt, he relied on Müller through the center as one of the team's creative outlets. Given that Müller is retired from international soccer with Germany and hasn't played in two weeks, we'll likely see him get the nod as an attacking midfielder against Stuttgart with Olise on the right-wing.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jamal Musiala Injury: Progress & Potential Return Date for Bayern Munich Midfielder.
