Bayern Munich Coach to Miss at Least One Bundesliga Match
Vincent Kompany remains hospitalized with a virus, leaving assistant Aaron Danks in charge for a tight table-topper against Freiburg.
By Naomi Whitaker ·
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany will spend the coming weeks in a hospital bed, extending his absence from the sidelines to at least one top-flight match. The club confirmed on Saturday that the 40-year-old is in stable condition while doctors continue to examine the specific nature of the virus that struck him during training.
Director of Sport Max Eberl stated that no specific recovery timeline has been established. He emphasized that the club will allow Kompany all the time he requires before discussing a return to duty. Eberl described the absence as a matter of weeks rather than days, noting that the team must first understand the illness before planning the next steps.
Assistant coach Aaron Danks will lead the team on Sunday. The Englishman took over the post-collapse duties on Friday and will guide Bayern during their away match at Freiburg. Danks said he spoke briefly with Kompany on Friday to check on his health, ensuring the former Belgium captain had no football-related conversations during the call. He described the coaching staff as working together to keep the club moving forward.
Bayern holds a one-point lead over Freiburg in the Bundesliga standings entering Sunday's fixture. Eberl said the club decided not to request a postponement for this match. He argued that a strong performance and a positive result would be the best way to support Kompany's recovery.
The squad will also be without Germany captain Joshua Kimmich for the game. Kimmich has been on bereavement leave since Tuesday. The club had previously postponed its second team match on Friday following Kompany's collapse on the pitch.
Kompany had returned to the dugout on Wednesday for a home match against Arsenal despite missing the pre-match news conference. He later admitted to ignoring early warning signs of the illness. He described the virus as nasty and said his body eventually forced him to stop.
The next scheduled match for the first team is a Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid in Madrid on November 3.
Source: Al Jazeera
