Jamal Musiala's Absence Seizures: A Challenge for Bayern Munich
Jamal Musiala had barely stepped onto the pitch when it happened again.
Eight minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in Bayern Munich’s pre-season friendly against Heidenheim on Tuesday, the 23-year-old collapsed – the second such incident in four days, and this time with the football world watching more closely.
The scenes were chillingly familiar to those against RB Leipzig on Saturday. Team-mates rushed over, Harry Kane among the first to comfort him, as concern swept through the stadium and across social media.
This week, Musiala put a name to what has been happening. He revealed he is experiencing “easily treatable absence seizures”, caused by a form of “neurological dysfunction”. A phrase that sounds clinical on paper, but in real time looks like a young star suddenly losing control of his own body.
Bayern knew before the World Cup
Bayern have confirmed there were signs of Musiala’s condition even before the last World Cup, though it had not affected his ability to play. Inside the club, this is not entirely new. In public, it feels like a bombshell.
“We have been aware of the problems for some time,” honorary president Uli Hoeness told Sky Sports. “But last weekend against Leipzig was the first time it happened on the pitch and was visible to everyone.
“We thought that if it didn't happen again so quickly, the medication he is taking would help. But when it happened again four days later, in the same way, I was stunned.”
So were many supporters. The decision to play Musiala so soon after his first collapse drew sharp questions. Why risk him? Why now?
Bayern moved quickly to stress they had done everything by the book.
“We've already taken precautions,” Hoeness said. “The doctors treating him, the neurologists and specialists, have provided us with written confirmation – because this was absolutely essential for us – that, in their view, there are no concerns regarding Jamal taking part in high-performance sport.
“Without that, we would have been acting negligently. Since we've had this written confirmation, we've been sleeping a little more soundly.
“But I must say, I'm rarely at a loss for words or without a clear solution. We'll have to feel our way through this new situation first.”
Kane: “He is going through something not everyone goes through”
Inside the dressing room, the response has been emotional rather than legalistic.
“Jamal is obviously going through a bit of a difficult moment right now,” Kane told BBC Sport. “I know he posted on social media about the small condition he has and from our point of view it is just about supporting Jamal.
“He is going through something that not everyone goes through, but there are also people who have dealt with it before and he is doing everything possible to be his best version.”
Kane spoke like a captain who has seen enough careers derailed to know how fragile form and fitness can be.
“He is a great player, extremely talented. He is a big part of our team. We feel really sorry for him and frustrated for him when things happen like they do in the last couple of games.
“He has the full support from everyone here at Bayern and his friends and family, and we will be there to help him deal with it.
“He came off the back of a tough injury last season, I know how much he works behind the scenes and on the training pitch. From our point of view it is just to be there to support him and not just from my point of view, but the whole team as well.”
On Instagram, Musiala himself tried to take control of the narrative, explaining that the seizures have become part of his everyday life. Not a dramatic one-off, but something to manage.
What are absence seizures?
Strip away the fear and the slow-motion replays, and what Musiala is dealing with is a recognised medical condition.
Absence seizures are a type of generalised seizure that typically affect children and young adults. There are two main forms: typical and atypical.
Dr Meneka Sidhu, consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, explains that typical absence seizures usually last only a few seconds. To the outside world, the person may just look like they are staring into space, daydreaming or blank.
In that moment, though, there is a loss of awareness. Balance can go, responsiveness can vanish.
“It can be very short-lasting, and the person can continue like nothing happened,” she said. “With atypical absences that last longer, people may have automatic movements like fidgeting with their hands, eyelid fluttering and lip smacking. Some people may fall.”
Repeated episodes over more than 24 hours can point towards epilepsy, but medication can control the seizures.
“For anybody affected by epilepsy, it is important to try to identify triggers,” Dr Sidhu added. “For people who play sport, triggers may include hyperventilation and dehydration.
“When effectively treated, there is no reason absence seizures should stop anyone playing sport.”
That last line matters. It cuts through the noise. It suggests that, medically, Musiala’s career does not have to be defined by this diagnosis.
There are precedents at elite level. Rugby player Tommy Freeman began having absence seizures at 14, was later diagnosed with epilepsy, and now manages his condition with tablets while playing for Northampton and England.
Another setback in a brutal 18 months
For Musiala, though, this is only the latest blow in a brutal stretch.
His 2024-25 campaign ended in early April because of injury. Just over a week later, he was involved in a serious traffic accident.
He fought his way back two months later to play in the Fifa Club World Cup, only for disaster to strike again. In the quarter-final against Paris St-Germain, he suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle in a collision with Gianluigi Donnarumma. That injury kept him out for 196 days.
When he finally returned, he did so with a metal plate in his foot, playing with it from January through to the end of the World Cup in North America, where he made four appearances for Germany.
The plate was removed in July, cutting into his pre-season and limiting his ability to train properly. Just as he tried to reset, the seizures became visible to the world.
“Musiala hasn't been much of a factor in the past 18 months,” said German football expert Constantin Eckner. “He came back for the Club World Cup but suffered a broken leg when he collided with Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“It took him months to recover from that. He just had a metal plate removed from his left foot so he played with that for half a year and had to deal with ankle issues.
“Naturally, his performances left much to be desired. The start to the upcoming season would have been difficult anyway, because he didn't take part in team training for some time due to the surgery in which the plate was removed. Now, there's another stumbling block.”
Bayern’s insurance policy – and the contract question
Clubs at Bayern’s level rarely rely on hope alone. Their summer move for Morocco attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari was not just about depth; it was, in part, about insurance.
“Musiala is Bayern's top earner alongside Harry Kane, but his contribution hasn't been anywhere close to Kane's,” Eckner said. “He is still young and things can change again.
“He has a release clause in his contract that could be triggered next summer, but the fee would be in the nine digits. It is unrealistic that any club would be willing to pay that for him at the moment.”
That is the hard edge of elite football. On one side, a dressing room closing ranks around a team-mate. On the other, a balance sheet, a release clause, and the cold reality that Bayern have already prepared for life without him at full tilt.
For now, the doctors are confident, the club is cautious but reassured, and his team-mates are vocal in their support. The medical guidance is clear: with the right treatment, absence seizures do not have to stop anyone playing sport at the highest level.
The question is not whether Jamal Musiala can play again. It is whether, after everything he has endured in the past 18 months, he will finally be allowed a stretch of time to show the world the player he was always meant to be.
