For the start of the year, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany has to do without four players, but has his captain available again.
Twenty days have passed since FC Bayern ended the year with a 4-0 win in Heidenheim despite being forced to cope without nine players due to a mix of illness and injury.
Even after a short winter break, the mood at Säbener Straße has remained upbeat, largely because the team’s sporting situation is still strong and the overall direction under Vincent Kompany has been positive. At the same time, the holiday period did not magically reset Bayern’s medical room. The return to training has confirmed what many inside the club already expected: the squad is improving, but key players are still being managed carefully, and several important names are not yet ready to contribute at full capacity.
That reality is felt most clearly in midfield, where Joshua Kimmich’s absence remains a significant talking point. The Bayern leader will miss Sunday’s match against Wolfsburg as he continues to recover from the ankle injury he suffered in November. In practical terms, it means Kompany must again adjust the structure of his midfield for a competitive fixture without one of his most influential organisers, tempo-setters and defensive stabilisers. Kimmich is the kind of player who can change games without scoring or assisting, simply through positioning, distribution and leadership. His presence also tends to affect how Bayern build from the back, how quickly they can circulate the ball through central zones, and how effectively they can apply pressure after losing possession.
There is, however, a clear sign of encouragement. Kimmich was already back on the training pitch doing running work on Friday, an important step that indicates the recovery process is moving forward rather than stalling. While a return to team training and match fitness is still required, the current trajectory suggests this is not expected to become a long-term issue. Kompany’s comments captured both the optimism and the caution Bayern are applying at this stage. He openly acknowledged Kimmich’s mentality and willingness to push himself, but also made clear that the player’s situation cannot be forced. In other words, Bayern want Kimmich back as soon as possible, yet not at the cost of him returning with residual pain or risking a setback. The aim is not merely to have him available again, but to have the problem properly resolved, meaning the pain is fully gone. Kompany underlined that the club is working on it and that things are moving in the right direction, a phrase that often signals a controlled, steady recovery rather than a rapid return.
While Kimmich’s situation remains central, Bayern are also taking a measured approach with Jamal Musiala, another player whose availability can dramatically influence the team’s attacking rhythm and unpredictability. Musiala is being eased back gradually after his fibula fracture, and the club is clearly prioritising a smart reintegration rather than rushing him into minutes the moment he appears physically capable. The decision to keep him at home for Tuesday’s dress rehearsal in Salzburg, which Bayern won 5-0, was a telling one. It suggested that even in a scenario where the team could have benefited from giving him match rhythm, the medical and performance staff preferred to avoid unnecessary risk. Musiala’s importance is obvious: he is one of Bayern’s most dynamic dribblers, a player who can break defensive lines with a single carry, create overloads in tight areas, and provide the kind of improvisation that makes well-organised opponents uncomfortable.
Kompany’s update on Musiala was positive, describing him as “close,” but the key message was restraint. Bayern Munich do not want to take the final step too quickly. That final step is often the most delicate phase of a return from injury: moving from controlled training scenarios into full match intensity, where contact, changes of direction, fatigue, and decision-making under pressure can expose any lingering weakness. According to Kompany, Musiala has had a good week and has trained in almost everything, which hints that the next stages will be about increasing intensity, monitoring response, and choosing the correct moment to give him competitive minutes.
In terms of immediate availability, Musiala is not expected to be used against Wolfsburg. The more realistic target is shortly after, with possible January appearances in Cologne or Leipzig. That sequencing reflects Bayern’s approach to building him back into the matchday squad: first complete training consistency, then controlled minutes, and only after that a return to a larger role. For Bayern, the ideal outcome is to regain Musiala not just for one match, but for the long stretch of the season where titles are decided and where depth becomes decisive.
All of this frames Bayern’s upcoming fixture against Wolfsburg as a test of squad resilience and tactical adaptability. Wolfsburg’s record in Munich is referenced as a psychological backdrop, but Bayern cannot rely on history alone, particularly while still missing key personnel. Kompany must once again balance short-term results with long-term planning, rotating where necessary, trusting the depth players, and keeping the team’s intensity high without overloading those who are returning from injury or who have carried heavy workloads through the first part of the campaign.
The wider picture is that Bayern’s winter restart is defined by two parallel realities. On one hand, the atmosphere is confident and stable, reinforced by strong results and a sense that the team is progressing. On the other, the medical situation remains a constraint, and Bayern’s best version will only emerge once leaders like Kimmich and game-changers like Musiala are fully integrated again. Until then, Kompany’s Bayern must keep winning while managing risk, a delicate balance that often separates good seasons from great ones.
Updated: 02:01, 10 Jan 2026
