Jamal Musiala: No More Excuses for Bayern's Star
Lothar Matthäus has never been one for soft landings. Not for himself. Not for Bayern. And certainly not for Jamal Musiala.
The Germany legend has thrown down a clear challenge to the 23-year-old ahead of the new season: the injury story is over. Now it’s about performance.
No more excuses
In his Sky Sport column, Matthäus cut straight to the point as he reflected on Musiala’s long and painful road back from the fractured fibula and dislocated ankle he suffered against PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup in July 2025. That injury wiped out half a year of his career, with the playmaker only easing his way back into action in early 2026.
That context once bought him time. Not anymore.
“So what’s next for Jamal Musiala? Eventually, the serious injury he suffered over a year ago will heal. He needs to finally put it behind him,” Matthäus wrote. “That’s crucial now, otherwise, he’ll likely spend a lot of time off the bench due to the stiff competition.”
The message is ruthless but unmistakable: Bayern’s standards don’t pause for rehabilitation.
A crowded stage behind Kane
Musiala’s problem is not just his own form. It’s the form of those around him.
Matthäus pointed to the growing understanding in Bayern’s frontline, where Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry have developed the kind of rhythm coaches dream about. Their movement, their rotations, their instinctive link-up play – all of it tightens the noose around Musiala’s margin for error in the number 10 role.
“Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane have shown excellent chemistry in their rotations,” Matthäus noted, underlining how smoothly Bayern’s attacking patterns are now flowing.
And it doesn’t stop there. Michael Olise offers another creative option between the lines. Youngster Lennart Karl is pushing too, capable of operating in that central pocket behind the striker. Both can fill the role that once seemed custom-built for Musiala.
“We also know that Olise and Karl can play in the number 10 role. Kompany will find the right mix again,” Matthäus added. Musiala, he stressed, did show encouraging signs at the end of Bayern’s season and at the World Cup. “But there are no more excuses.”
The pressure is not abstract. It’s sitting on the bench next to him, lacing its boots.
Pre-season as a proving ground
Musiala’s summer has brought another medical chapter, though a far less dramatic one. In July 2026 he underwent a minor procedure to remove a metal stabilisation plate inserted during his initial surgery. The operation is part of closing the book on that injury once and for all.
Now comes the hard part: turning recovery into rhythm.
Pre-season will be his laboratory. Sessions, friendlies, double sessions again – all of it aimed at rebuilding full match sharpness and convincing Vincent Kompany that the number 10 slot still belongs to him when the competitive games return.
This is not just about minutes. It’s about authority. About showing he can again be the player who breaks lines, dictates tempo, and decides games in the tight spaces Bayern inhabit every week.
If he doesn’t, Bayern have alternatives ready to step in. That’s the reality Matthäus is spelling out.
Kompany’s delicate equation
While Musiala fights for his place, Kompany faces a different kind of headache – the good kind, in theory, but still a headache.
He must find an attacking formula capable of defending Bayern’s Bundesliga crown and going one step further in Europe after last season’s Champions League semi-final exit to back-to-back winners PSG. The margin for error at that level is microscopic, and so is the tolerance for passengers in the starting XI.
With Kane as the focal point, Gnabry buzzing around him, Olise and Karl offering versatility, and Musiala desperate to reassert himself, Kompany is spoiled for choice in the final third. The trick will be to balance chemistry with individual brilliance, rotation with continuity.
Matthäus is convinced the coach will “find the right mix again.” The implication is clear: whether Musiala is part of that mix is now up to Musiala.
The new season will not wait for him. Nor will his rivals for that number 10 shirt.
