Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has backed Jamal Musiala to overcome his latest injury setback after the Germany international suffered a muscle tear while on international duty.
The 23-year-old suffered what Bayern described as a “minor” muscle tear during the warm-up for Germany’s UEFA Nations League match against the Netherlands on September 24.
It represents another frustrating setback for Musiala, who has already missed three of Bayern’s opening seven matches this season after a difficult pre-season.
Speaking ahead of Bayern’s Bundesliga match with Augsburg on Saturday, Kompany expressed his sympathy for Musiala and drew comparisons with his own experiences as a player.
“I can relate to the story of his setbacks,” Kompany said.
“I’ve faced that a lot in my career. Coming back from that is a lot of strength.
“I hope he can enjoy playing football again in the coming years, and I believe he will. Once you learn how to come back from moments like this, you carry that ability with you for the rest of your life.
“In every situation, he knows how to fight and always comes back.
“We have seen how happy the team and the fans are when he scores a goal. We will relive those moments again.”
Bayern is looking to maintain its unbeaten start in the German League
Bayern returns from the international break aiming to continue their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season.
Kompany’s side won six of their first seven league matches, with a goalless draw with Schalke last month preventing them from maintaining a perfect record.
Their next opponent, Augsburg, has endured a more difficult period after starting the season strongly.
They have conceded six goals over their last three matches, but Kompany refuses to downplay the side that caused Bayern problems last season.
Augsburg were the only team to defeat Bayern in the Bundesliga during the previous season, achieving a 2-1 win at the Allianz Arena in January.
“It’s a very important match,” Kompany said.
“We lost a Bundesliga game last year to Augsburg. It’s still a derby and it’s an away game.
“Augsburg are known for their compact formation and their ability to be very dangerous on the ball.
“They have a lot of individual quality. They have more than people realize sometimes.
“They started the season with momentum. There is still a derby, the fans are looking forward to it, and so are we.”
