Jamal Musiala closes in on Bayern Munich return ahead of Schalke clash

Jamal Musiala could return to Bayern Munich’s matchday squad against Schalke on Saturday as Vincent Kompany prepares to make a final decision following the club’s last training session. The 23-year-old has missed Bayern’s opening competitive fixtures of the season after experiencing two episodes during pre-season matches against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim. Musiala subsequently explained that he had been diagnosed with temporary absences linked to a neurological dysfunction and has continued to work under specialist medical supervision. Speaking ahead of Bayern’s Bundesliga trip to Gelsenkirchen, Kompany said Musiala has made positive progress after another adjustment to his medication. The Bayern coach confirmed that the Germany international has completed recent training sessions without another episode and said his condition is moving in the right direction. Bayern will nevertheless wait to see how Musiala responds to the final session before deciding whether he travels with the squad to face Schalke. Kompany stressed that, at this stage, the decision over his inclusion will be based on sporting considerations rather than setting a predetermined comeback date. Musiala has already progressed back into team training. He took part in Bayern’s final session before the Bundesliga opener against Stuttgart last week but was deliberately left out of the squad, while he also missed the subsequent DFB-Pokal victory at Osnabrück. Saturday therefore represents the first realistic opportunity for him to return to a competitive Bayern squad since the two pre-season incidents. Kompany also sought to place the situation in a longer-term context, explaining that Bayern and Musiala are working closely with medical specialists and are prepared for the possibility that another episode could occur in the future. For now, the immediate signs from training are positive, but Bayern have stopped short of confirming his comeback against Schalke. A final decision will be made after Musiala completes Bayern’s remaining preparations for the Bundesliga fixture.