Bayern Munich Faces Dortmund in Super Cup Without Musiala
Bayern Munich step into a new season on Saturday with a familiar edge in the air: Borussia Dortmund, a trophy on the line, and all eyes on how Vincent Kompany’s side handle the first real test of the campaign.
The Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup, the rebranded DFL-Supercup, opens the German football calendar, and Bayern arrive with expectation, intrigue – and one notable absentee.
Musiala out of Super Cup after worrying week
Jamal Musiala will not feature against Dortmund. Bayern are drawing a firm line after a worrying four-day spell in pre-season that saw the 23-year-old collapse twice, first against RB Leipzig and then against Heidenheim.
Musiala later explained on social media that a minor neurological issue was behind the incidents. He stressed it will not endanger his career or stop him playing for Bayern. The club’s medical staff share that optimism, but they are not taking any chances with the season only just beginning.
Kompany still has a powerful squad at his disposal, yet Musiala’s absence is more than a simple rotation call. Bayern want to ease the load, strip away risk and give him space to stabilise after the scares that briefly jolted the club’s pre-season.
Bayern calm behind the scenes
Inside Säbener Straße, the mood around Musiala is far calmer than the headlines suggest.
The club have known about his neurological condition for over a year. The recent problems, Max Eberl and Kompany explained in the pre-match press conference, stem from side effects triggered by a change in medication rather than a new or worsening illness.
The plan is straightforward: Musiala is expected to return to the previous medication that had worked well for him. Bayern believe that adjustment will settle the issue. The player has already been back on the training pitch, working individually under the close eye of medical and coaching staff.
Publicly, the squad has rallied around him. Privately, they have been aware of his situation for some time. Inside the dressing room, his condition is not treated as a major talking point, more an issue to be managed professionally over a long season.
Eyes on Stuttgart opener
The immediate consequence is clear: no Musiala against Dortmund. The bigger question is whether he will be ready when the Bundesliga starts.
On that front, Bayern are confident. The club expect him to be available for the league opener against VfB Stuttgart next Friday, provided his body responds as anticipated to the medication switch and controlled workload.
The hope is that the Super Cup absence becomes a footnote rather than a theme.
A reset after a brutal year
Musiala’s last 12 months have already tested him. A serious injury against PSG in the Club World Cup last summer ruled him out for more than seven months. By the time he returned, Bayern’s season had shifted, and he needed time to rediscover rhythm and sharpness.
Those stop-start months have sharpened the sense of what this campaign could mean. Bayern’s hierarchy and supporters are aligned on one point: they want to see the best version of Musiala again, fit, free, and central to Kompany’s attacking plans.
The club’s stance now – cautious, supportive, unflustered – is built on that long view. This is about a full season, not one August showpiece.
Other absentees as Kompany starts era
Musiala is not the only player missing for the Dortmund clash. Lennart Karl and Serge Gnabry will also sit out the Super Cup as they continue their recoveries from injury.
It leaves Kompany with early selection puzzles but also a chance to test the depth Bayern have assembled for 2026/27. The Belgian coach begins his tenure with a trophy at stake, a Klassiker opponent, and a fanbase eager to see signs of a new identity.
Bayern’s season starts under the lights against their fiercest domestic rival. The real measure, though, may come a week later, when the Bundesliga kicks off and the club hope to have their gifted No. 42 back where they want him: on the pitch, dictating games, and finally looking at a season that belongs to him.
