Another absence for Bayern Munich: Another star to miss the big match in Freiburg
Bayern Munich will also be without goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for Sunday’s high-profile Bundesliga match away to SC Freiburg.
Bayern Munich announced on Saturday afternoon that Neuer is out injured. Persistent tendon irritation in his foot means the 40-year-old must take another break.
Because of the foot problem, Neuer had already missed last weekend's 6-1 home win against RB Leipzig. He returned in goal for Bayern Munich's 2-2 Champions League thriller against Arsenal in midweek, but now he has to sit out again.
Jonas Urbig will stand in for him again, as he did against Leipzig. The 23-year-old, who is being groomed as Neuer's successor at Bayern Munich, has already made four appearances in all competitions this season. Bayern therefore need not worry about their goalkeeper's match sharpness.
Who else are Bayern Munich missing besides Manuel Neuer?
Alongside Neuer, the champions will be without several other prominent players against third-placed Freiburg, who have made a strong start. Midfield leader Joshua Kimmich is absent, as he was against Arsenal, because of a bereavement in the family. Attacking player Luis Diaz (minor muscle bundle tear), playmaker Jamal Musiala (thigh muscle injury) and centre-back Min-jae Kim (muscle strain) are also unavailable through injury.
Bayern's head coach will also be absent in Breisgau. Vincent Kompany collapsed at the training ground on Friday while watching a session of the second team. The Belgian was then taken to a Munich hospital and has been undergoing tests there since.
At a press conference on Saturday morning, board member for sport Max Eberl confirmed that Kompany's condition is stable. It remains unclear when the 40-year-old, who recently suffered from a severe viral infection, can return. "Vinnie will be given all the time he needs; we will not set any timeframes. We need to find out: WHAT and HOW. But we are talking about weeks, and that must be clear to all of us," Eberl explained.
Assistant coach Aaron Danks will stand in for Kompany in Freiburg. The 43-year-old Englishman arrived at Säbener Straße alongside Kompany in 2024.
