In a significant setback for Bayern Munich, their talented 22-year-old midfielder Jamal Musiala sustained a severe leg injury late in the first half of their 2-0 loss to PSG in the Club World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday in Atlanta. The Germany international, a highly technical and promising player, was challenging for a loose ball in the attacking box when PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma dove to secure possession. In the process, Donnarumma landed on Musiala`s left leg, resulting in a visibly dislocated ankle as the play concluded.
Bayern players immediately reacted, signaling the goalkeeper to stop playing and alerting medical staff. The severity of the injury was evident, with numerous teammates surrounding Musiala and expressing shock. The referee quickly called for a stretcher, and Musiala received initial medical attention on the field before being carried off as teams headed for the halftime break.
He was subsequently transported to a hospital for further assessment.
Discussing the incident after the match, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl stated, “For me, this isn`t a result of constant playing. It is more of an accident, it happened, and this is obviously bad for us.”
Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany commented on the initial impression, “It didn`t look good. If I`m just watching the images, it looked like an ankle injury of some kind, but I`m not going to make a diagnosis here.”
On Monday, Bayern officially confirmed the extent of the damage, announcing that the young attacker had indeed suffered a broken fibula.
Turning to the match summary, PSG clinched the winning goal in the 78th minute with a low shot from Desire Doue. The end of the game saw significant disciplinary issues for PSG, with Willian Pacho receiving a red card for a bad tackle and Lucas Hernandez also dismissed for an elbow to the face. Despite playing against nine men, Bayern was unable to find an equalizer. Ousmane Dembele then secured PSG`s 2-0 victory in the sixth minute of added time.
With this victory, PSG is scheduled to face Real Madrid in the semifinals next week.
Musiala, who was recognized as Germany`s national team player of the year last year, made his senior debut for Bayern at age 17 and became the youngest German player to participate in a World Cup since 1958. He is widely anticipated to become one of the world`s elite players in the coming years, making this injury a significant setback in his promising career.
