Munich’s Jamal Musiala experiencing absence seizures, club offers support

By Liam Tremblay — 19 August 2026 — 3 min read

Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala experienced a second collapse in four days during a pre-season friendly against Heidenheim on Tuesday, lasting only eight minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute. This incident mirrored a previous one against RB Leipzig on Saturday, with teammates, including England captain Harry Kane, providing comfort to Musiala.

Musiala has since disclosed that he is experiencing “easily treatable absence seizures” which stem from a “neurological dysfunction.”

Club Response and Medical Assurance

Bayern Munich officials have confirmed that they were aware of Musiala’s condition before the World Cup, though it had not previously impacted his play. Honorary president Uli Hoeness stated that the club had been informed of the problems for some time, but the incident against Leipzig was the first time it occurred visibly on the pitch. Hoeness expressed his shock when the incident recurred just four days later.

Despite concerns, Bayern officials assured supporters that medical experts had cleared Musiala to play on Tuesday. Hoeness noted that neurologists and specialists provided written confirmation that there were no concerns regarding Musiala’s participation in high-performance sport. He added that the club would have been acting negligently without such confirmation.

Harry Kane emphasized the team’s full support for Musiala, acknowledging that he is going through a challenging period. Kane highlighted Musiala’s talent and importance to the team, stating that the players, friends, and family would be there to help him manage the situation. According to one report, Bayern has no plans to sign a replacement and intends to support Musiala fully, feeling well-positioned in the number 10 role with alternatives like Ismael Saibari, Serge Gnabry, and Lennart Karl.

Understanding Absence Seizures

Musiala shared on social media that these seizures have become part of his daily life. Absence seizures are a type of generalized seizure that typically affect children and young adults.

Dr. Meneka Sidhu, a consultant neurologist in London, explained that typical absence seizures are usually brief, lasting seconds, and can make a person appear to be daydreaming or blank. During an absence seizure, individuals may experience varying degrees of loss of awareness, potentially leading to loss of balance and unresponsiveness.

Atypical absences, which last longer, might involve automatic movements such as fidgeting, eyelid fluttering, or lip smacking, and can sometimes result in falls. Repeated episodes over more than 24 hours could indicate epilepsy, though these seizures are treatable with medication. Dr. Sidhu noted that identifying triggers, such as hyperventilation and dehydration, is important for those affected by epilepsy, and effective treatment means there is no reason absence seizures should prevent participation in sports.

Musiala’s Recent Challenges

Musiala’s recent diagnosis follows a series of setbacks in his career. His 2024-25 campaign was cut short by an injury in early April, followed by a traffic accident just over a week later. He returned for the Fifa Club World Cup but then sustained a broken leg and dislocated ankle in the quarter-final against Paris St-Germain, which sidelined him for 196 days.

The former England Under-21 international played with a metal plate in his foot from January until the end of the summer’s World Cup in North America, where he made four appearances for Germany. The plate was removed in July, which limited his pre-season training. German football expert Constantin Eckner noted that Musiala’s performances had been affected and that the start of the upcoming season would have been difficult due to his recovery from surgery.

Eckner also suggested that Bayern‘s acquisition of Ismael Saibari was partly intended to mitigate Musiala’s fitness concerns. Musiala’s contract includes a release clause that could be activated next summer, with a fee in the nine digits, though it is considered unlikely any club would pay that amount currently.

Uli Hoeness conveyed his deep concern, stating that he goes to bed and wakes up thinking of Musiala, and that the entire club is committed to doing everything possible to support him.

Source: bbc.com