Kompany downplays Musiala scare: a repeat episode "won't be a big problem" for Bayern

Watching a player collapse twice in preseason is unsettling for anyone. But at Bayern Munich, the club has already decided to turn down the volume on the drama. Vincent Kompany put it plainly: if it happens again to Jamal Musiala, it won't be a big deal for the club.

The 23-year-old midfielder went public with his situation after suffering two episodes in back-to-back preseason matches. Musiala described it as "absence seizures caused by a neurological dysfunction." That kind of diagnosis sounds frightening on paper, and the player himself felt he needed to explain it in his own words to head off the wave of speculation swirling around him.

Since then, his medication has been adjusted and he's back training with the group, though he hasn't returned to match action yet. Kompany explained that the club has "the best experts" advising on the case, and he went further, laying out how they'll handle it if it happens again:

"If it happens again in 40, 50 or 60 days, or in 40, 50 or 60 games, it won't be a big problem for us anymore. We know how to manage it, and at some point he'll be a completely normal athlete again."Vincent Kompany

That statement sums up the coaching staff's approach pretty well: normalizing something that initially caused alarm both inside and outside the locker room. Kompany himself admitted the early impact on public perception was significant, though he believes it's starting to fade.

"He's doing things the right way, he had a good week. Hopefully that initial shock in public will keep fading little by little."Vincent Kompany

Back on the Champions League roster

Here's the concrete detail exciting Bavarian fans: Musiala was included on Bayern's roster for the Champions League. That doesn't mean he'll be back on the field right away. Kompany was clear that he first wants to see how Musiala responds in training before including him in a matchday squad for an official game.

The German club has stated it was aware of this health issue since at least last season. Musiala himself made a point of clarifying something important to put minds at ease: in his words, there's "no additional health risk" from continuing to play soccer.

When might he return? Two dates stand out on the calendar. The first is this Saturday, when Bayern visits Schalke in the Bundesliga. The second is the team's European opener on Thursday against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

It's worth remembering that Musiala's last official match was none other than the World Cup, in Germany's penalty-shootout loss to Paraguay in the round of 16. Since then, everything has revolved around his health, and now the focus is slowly starting to shift back to the field.