Luis Díaz returns to action with Bayern Munich after 22 days without playing

Twenty two days without playing a single official minute is a long stretch for any footballer in form. That is exactly how long Luis Díaz has gone without setting foot on a competitive field, a drought that ends this Saturday, October 10, when Bayern Munich visits Augsburg for matchday five of the Bundesliga.

Kickoff is set for 8:30 a.m. Colombia time and the match will air on Disney+ Premium for South America. This is no ordinary return: Bayern is also coming back from nearly three weeks off due to the FIFA international break, so everyone arrives fully charged, starting with Díaz himself.

When was the last time you saw him on the pitch? September 18, in the 7-0 rout of Union Berlin, where he started but only lasted 63 minutes before coming off without leaving his mark on the scoreline. That match closed out, as it happened, a curious streak: five straight matches with the Bavarian club without scoring or assisting, after having opened the season with a goal.

It's worth recalling how all this started for the Colombian in this Bundesliga campaign. On August 28, against Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena, Díaz scored in stoppage time to seal a commanding 5-1 win. From there, nothing: Osnabrück, Schalke 04, Bodø/Glimt, Elversberg and Union Berlin itself all went by without the Guajiro touching a goal or an assist again, though he did show a sign that the scoring touch is still there, a goal disallowed for offside against Union Berlin, right before Vincent Kompany decided to give him a rest, subbing him off for Ismael Saibari.

A Bayern side that doesn't need anyone to score goals in bunches, but wants everyone at their best

The truth is the team hasn't missed anyone collectively. With three wins and a draw in the first four matchdays, and a goal difference that's already frightening (14 scored against just two conceded), Kompany's Bayern rolls into Augsburg like a steamroller. The latest show of force, that very 7-0 win over Union Berlin, had its own headliners: a hat trick from Michael Olise and a brace from Harry Kane.

For Díaz, this is no ordinary fixture on the calendar. He arrives having not been called up by Néstor Lorenzo for the Colombian national team during this international window, which gave him physical rest but also left him short of match rhythm. Now he returns just as a demanding stretch begins for Bayern: after Augsburg, the team hosts Viking in the Champions League on October 13, just three days later.

With one goal in the first four Bundesliga matchdays, the Colombian has a chance in Augsburg to break the drought in direct goal involvement that has followed him since late August. And he'll do it, once again, as part of a team that for now shows no signs of slowing down.