Musiala fibula fracture confirmed as Bayern say lengthy lay-off due

Qatar Tribune

13 hours ago

dpa
Atlanta
Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle in a Club World Cup quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain and will be sidelined for a 'long period,' the club confirmed on Sunday.
Bayern said that Musiala was returning from the tournament in the United States on Sunday and would then soon undergo surgery. A further update is expected after the operation but he is bound to miss several months at least.
Musiala sustained the injury to his left leg after being hit by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma late in the first half of the 2-0 defeat by PSG on Saturday.
Bayern head of sport Max Eberl said in a statement: 'This serious injury and the lengthy lay-off are a real shock for Jamal and us all.
'Everyone knows how immensely important Jamal is for our game and what a central role he has in our team. Furthermore, there's also a huge human impact and we all feel for him: Jamal has just come back from an injury and will now be out for another long period.
'He'll get everything he needs from us. We'll support him intensively, be by his side and already look forward to when he's back on the pitch.' It was a major setback for the 22-year-old, who was making his first start since suffering a hamstring injury three months ago, and who will also miss Germany's World Cup qualifiers starting in September.
The Germany playmaker will aim to be fully fit for the World Cup back in the US next June but he has many obstacles to overcome beforehand.
Müller says staying on to cover Musiala 'tawdry' Bayern were also flying back to Germany on Sunday but the Club World Cup exit paled in comparison to Musiala's pain - which was clearly visible as other players looked away from the gruesome scene.
'What gets my blood boiling is not the result but it happened to someone who loves the game so much and is also very important for us,' Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said.
Several Bayern figures criticized Donnarumma for what they saw as a reckless piece of goalkeeping.
Musiala's injury also overshadowed the end of Thomas Muller's trophy-laden 25 years and 756 first-team matches at the club. The 35-year-old quickly dismissed as 'tawdry' suggestions he should perhaps be given another short-term deal to cover in Musiala's absence.
But Bayern will have to change their transfer plans now having not even replaced winger Leroy Sané, who has joined Galatasaray on a free transfer, let alone Müller or fellow forward Musiala.
Florian Witz opted for Liverpool rather than Bayern, who have acknowledged that massive funds are not available. The revamped Club World Cup has swelled coffers, but a deeper run would have further boosted the bank balance.
The Bavarians have been linked with a host of top European wingers and Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade, who could play in the hole like Musiala but also be a back-up to striker Harry Kane.
Bayern have been after the 23-year-old for weeks but Stuttgart allegedly want a huge fee, with some reports speaking of close to ?100 million ($118 million), to get him out of his contract until 2028.
Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness called Woltemade 'a very, very good player who would be a great fit for us.'
Musiala's fate was an emotional blow on a day when ambitious Bayern found out again that they can compete with the best, but not quite have the class to beat them - even conceding the second goal when Ousmane Dembelé wrapped up matters after PSG were reduced to nine players.
Eberl said that Bayern 'learnt the hard way' about not taking their chances, after the team 'went toe-to-toe with the current Champions League winners and played very well.'
Kompany announced a three-week holiday for the players to recharge their batteries for the new season, which the Bundesliga champions start on August 16 in the Super Cup at German Cup winners Stuttgart.