After shock diagnosis: next setback for Jamal Musiala at Bayern Munich
After going public with his absence epilepsy, Jamal Musiala at Bayern Munich will probably have to wait a while longer before his season can really begin.
According to kicker, after missing the competitive season opener in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Borussia Dortmund (2-1), Musiala will also miss the start of the Bundesliga next Friday evening. The 23-year-old will not be in the squad against VfB Stuttgart. Bild, meanwhile, report that a return is at least conceivable on matchday two against Schalke 04.
Musiala briefly collapsed in two consecutive friendlies against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim, then revealed he suffers from so-called absence seizures.
"Absence epilepsy originates in the so-called thalamus, the diencephalon, which controls consciousness. Anyone who has a dysfunction here is sometimes suddenly no longer responsive," neurologist Dr Regina Becker from the Neurozentrum München Schwabing explained to SPOX about Musiala's condition: "The brain enters a state of emergency, the neurons begin firing uncontrollably and communication between the thalamus and the so-called cerebral cortex, where we consciously perceive things, is interrupted. The patient no longer perceives their own surroundings, stares blankly ahead or even falls over - as in Musiala's case. To outsiders, the patient often appears frozen."
Bayern Munich knew about Jamal Musiala's condition
Musiala is said to have been dealing with the neuronal dysfunction for quite some time. Board member for sport Max Eberl confirmed that and stressed that the club and Musiala's team-mates had always known about it. The alarming incidents in the friendlies came after a change in medication. To allow that adjustment to happen without any further incident, Bayern pulled Musiala out of team training and match action before the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund.
"It's only about him making the adjustment without pressure, without us doing anything additional. That's the only reason," coach Vincent Kompany said last Friday. He also announced: "We know how we have to deal with it. He will train individually this week."
When asked whether Musiala would now be sidelined for longer, Eberl also tried to calm concerns. "The risk is minimised. There is no risk in the world that can be ruled out," said Eberl. He also stressed that Musiala was "on a good path" and that the club already had plenty of experience in dealing with this issue.
Kompany says Jamal Musiala has made "huge progress"
For Musiala, this latest health setback has come at a bad time. Last season, the superstar was still well short of his best at the Club World Cup because of the after-effects of his serious fibula and ankle injury, and he was also unable to show his full potential on the pitch at the World Cup in a Germany shirt. The new season was supposed to mark a fresh start. Instead, the exceptional player will probably have to stay patient a little longer.
Still, Kompany indicated that Musiala should return fully fit and with his "magic" back. "I know that he has made huge progress this summer. Look at the minutes he has played. He did things there that were not on the same level as our best players, but one level higher. That's how we haven't seen Jamal since his injury against Paris," the Belgian enthused.
