Bayern Munich take 'cautious path' as Jamal Musiala trains again

By SABC Sport
8th January 2026

Jamal Musiala has moved closer to a return for Bayern Munich as the club confirmed plans to ease him back into action during January, with sporting director Christoph Freund stressing there would be no rush with the midfielder's recovery.

Musiala returned to full team training this week after a lengthy injury lay-off, giving Bayern a major boost ahead of the second half of the season. The Germany international had been pushing to come back earlier, but the club opted for caution as they managed his workload.

Freund explained that Bayern's approach was clear and measured. "Jamal is training with the team again and will gradually get playing time. A return in January is more than realistic," he said. "He would have preferred to play in December, but now we're happy he's back. He just needs to get back to match fitness."

Bayern sit nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and have already secured qualification for the Champions League knockout stage, giving head coach Vincent Kompany room to manage Musiala's minutes carefully.

Freund highlighted Musiala's attitude since returning to training, adding: "You can see how much he's giving to get back on the pitch. He's really excited about football, about the daily routine with the team and being back in the dressing room. He seems very positive, it's a joy to see."

Musiala was expected to miss the next two matches, with mid-January fixtures against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga or Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League emerging as possible targets for his comeback.

With Bayern also preparing for a DFB-Pokal quarter-final against Leipzig, Kompany was expected to take a cautious approach. Bayern's strong league position allowed them to prioritise Musiala's long-term fitness, ensuring one of their key players returned at full strength for the decisive months ahead.