The Bayern — Stuttgart match marked the opening round of the Bundesliga in the 2026/2027 season. The Munich manager Vincent Kompany presented a squad list without two prominent figures — Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry. Both are absent for medical reasons, and it is their condition that shapes the squad picture at the start of the championship.
Starting Lineup: A Bet on the Leaders
Kompany fielded most of his leading performers from the first minute: Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz and Manuel Neuer. For them, the match against Stuttgart was already the second official game of the season after the Supercup against Borussia. Thus, the coaching staff placed their bet on a proven core rather than forcing the return of injured and recovering players.
Musiala: A Neurological Diagnosis and Two Episodes of Losing Consciousness
Jamal Musiala was not included in the squad list due to health problems. According to available reports, in August the midfielder lost consciousness or control of himself twice during Bayern matches — first in the game against RB Leipzig, and a few days later in the match against Heidenheim. After the second episode, the situation caused serious concern.
The footballer later reported that he was diagnosed with a neurological disorder triggering brief absence seizures. The club, according to the outlet, had been aware of the problem earlier, and the player is now under the constant monitoring of the medical staff.
Gnabry: Recovery from an Adductor Tendon Tear
Serge Gnabry was also not included in the squad list. In April 2026 he sustained a tear of the adductor tendon in his right thigh, after which Bayern officially announced the footballer's long-term absence. In July, Gnabry himself spoke about progress in his recovery and a gradual approach to his return, however the coaching staff is not rushing to include him in the full-group training process.
Contradictory Data
There is an inconsistency in the chronology of the source materials. On the one hand, it is reported that the match against Stuttgart is only the second official game of the season after the Supercup. On the other — the episodes involving Musiala against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim are dated to August, which is hard to reconcile with such a small number of official matches: presumably these were friendly or pre-season encounters, or the wording is imprecise. Moreover, Musiala's neurological diagnosis is based on his own statement, and the claim that the club knew about the problem earlier is not confirmed by an independent source.
What This Means for the Season
The absence of two key players at the start of the championship deprives Bayern of part of its attacking depth and variety. Kompany, it seems, is deliberately not risking his players' health, preferring to rely on a fully fit core. The recovery dynamics of Musiala and Gnabry will be one of the main storylines of the first months of the 2026/2027 season.
