Jamal Musiala's Critical Season Ahead at Bayern Munich

Lothar Matthäus has never been one for gentle reminders. When he speaks about Jamal Musiala now, there is no safety net, no soft landing. The message is blunt: the time for excuses at Bayern Munich is over.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has lived through the kind of injury that can derail a career. A fractured fibula and dislocated ankle against PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup in July 2025, six months on the sidelines, and then a cautious, phased return in early 2026. For a long stretch, just being back on the pitch felt like a victory.

Matthäus is no longer willing to see it that way.

In his latest Sky Sport column, the Bayern and Germany legend laid down a clear challenge. Musiala, he argued, must finally rediscover his top level ahead of the new campaign or risk being squeezed out of Vincent Kompany’s starting XI.

“So what’s next for Jamal Musiala?” Matthäus asked, before answering his own question with typical directness. The serious injury, he stressed, will heal. It has to be parked mentally now. If not, the bench beckons, because the competition around him has hardened.

And that, more than anything, is the crux of it. Bayern’s attack has moved on while Musiala has been rebuilding.

Kompany’s frontline has found a rhythm without needing Musiala as its central reference point. Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry, in particular, have developed a sharp understanding, their rotations and combinations giving Bayern a fluid, dangerous edge in the final third. Matthäus highlighted that “excellent chemistry” as one of the key reasons Musiala’s margin for error has shrunk.

The number 10 role, once seemingly tailored to Musiala’s gifts, no longer belongs to him by default. Michael Olise offers creativity and incision between the lines. Youngster Lennart Karl has emerged as another option capable of operating in that central pocket. Both can step into the role, both trust their ability to influence games.

Kompany, Matthäus insisted, will “find the right mix again.” That is both reassurance and warning. Bayern’s coach has options. He will not hesitate to use them.

There were, as Matthäus acknowledged, flashes of the old Musiala late last season. Encouraging performances for Bayern, promising moments at the World Cup. Enough to remind everyone of his ceiling, but not enough to shield him from scrutiny now that he is considered fully recovered.

“No more excuses,” Matthäus concluded. The line hung there, heavy, final.

Musiala’s summer reflects that urgency. In July 2026 he underwent a minor procedure to remove a metal stabilisation plate, another step in closing the chapter on that brutal injury. Pre-season will be his proving ground: a chance to rebuild full match fitness, to sharpen his instincts, to show he can again be the player who tilts games in Bayern’s favour rather than one who waits for chances off the bench.

The stakes are clear. Bayern are defending their Bundesliga title and chasing a deeper run in the Champions League after falling in the semi-finals last season to back-to-back champions PSG. Kompany must craft an attacking formula ruthless enough to dominate domestically and resilient enough to survive Europe’s sharpest edges.

Within that equation sits Musiala. Not as a guaranteed starter, not as the golden boy who plays regardless of form, but as one highly gifted piece in a crowded puzzle.

If he hits his stride, he can still be the face of Bayern’s next era. If he doesn’t, the telepathy of Kane and Gnabry, the craft of Olise, and the hunger of Karl will not wait for him.

The door is open. The competition is real. Now it is up to Musiala to decide whether this season marks his full return to the elite—or the moment Bayern learn to live without him.