Joshua Kimmich ruled out of Bayern Munich's Champions League match against Arsenal following a death in his family
Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich will play no part in Wednesday night's heavyweight Champions League encounter against visiting Premier League champions Arsenal. The Bundesliga holders confirmed that the German international has been granted compassionate leave following a bereavement in his close family.
Compassionate leave rules out midfielder
Kimmich will be absent from the Die Roten squad for Wednesday night's league-phase clash against the Gunners after suffering a bereavement in his close family. The German champions announced the news in a brief statement on Wednesday after the midfielder missed Tuesday's final training session for personal reasons. His unavailability is a major blow for the hosts as they bid to capture a first European crown in seven years.
Bavarian giants request complete privacy
Losing their midfield lynchpin compounds a mounting selection headache for the Bavarian outfit ahead of kick-off in Munich. Winger Michael Olise is suspended following his dismissal last week, attacker Jamal Musiala is sidelined with a thigh injury, and veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer remains a doubt with a foot issue. Head coach Vincent Kompany has also been battling illness and missed his pre-match press conference, though he is still expected to take his place on the touchline.
Confirming the player's absence and offering their support in an official post on X, Bayern stated: "On behalf of the family, we ask that his privacy and grief be respected, and that further inquiries and reporting be refrained from. We send our deepest condolences to Joshua Kimmich and his loved ones."
Domestic dominance contrasts European hiccup
Despite those absentees, the German title holders enter the contest unbeaten across six Bundesliga outings while also progressing to the DFB-Pokal second round via a 4-1 victory at second-tier Osnabruck.
Their domestic campaign began with a 5-1 rout of Stuttgart before a goalless draw with Schalke, a narrow win over newly-promoted Elversberg and a 7-0 thrashing of Union Berlin inspired by an Olise hat-trick. After twice coming from behind to salvage a draw against Augsburg, they bounced back on Saturday by dismantling RB Leipzig 6-1 courtesy of a Luis Diaz treble.
In Europe, an opening 5-0 demolition of Bodo/Glimt was followed by a frustrating 3-3 draw away at Viking last week, where they overturned a two-goal deficit to lead 3-2 before conceding a last-minute equaliser.
Formidable home record faces examination
Even without Kimmich anchoring the midfield, Bayern can draw confidence from having lost just one of their last 31 home fixtures in the Champions League, recording 24 wins and six draws. Furthermore, they are unbeaten in eight European outings in Munich since a 2-1 quarter-final defeat to Inter Milan in 2024-25, winning seven of those matches. That imperious Allianz Arena record will now be put to the test against Arsenal.
