Jamal Musiala Must Step Up: No More Excuses, Says Matthäus

Lothar Matthäus has delivered a blunt message to Jamal Musiala: the time for sympathy is over.

The Bayern Munich legend believes the 23-year-old must rediscover his very best level ahead of the new season, insisting that last year’s horrific injury can no longer serve as a shield.

No more excuses

Writing in his Sky Sport column, Matthäus revisited the brutal moment that derailed Musiala’s rise – the fractured fibula and dislocated ankle suffered against PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup in July 2025. The damage kept him out for six months and forced a cautious, staggered return in early 2026.

That period of understanding is finished, in Matthäus’ eyes.

“So what’s next for Jamal Musiala? Eventually, the serious injury he suffered over a year ago will heal. He needs to finally put it behind him. That’s crucial now, otherwise, he’ll likely spend a lot of time off the bench due to the stiff competition,” the 65-year-old warned.

The message is clear: Bayern’s dressing room no longer revolves around Musiala’s rehabilitation. It revolves around results.

Bayern’s new attacking hierarchy

Part of the problem for Musiala is that Bayern have moved on without waiting for him. The frontline has found a rhythm, and Matthäus made a point of underlining just how slick it now looks.

Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry, he noted, have developed a sharp understanding in their rotations, repeatedly interchanging positions and combining with a fluency that has become a reference point for Vincent Kompany’s attack. That partnership is no longer a trial; it is a pillar.

On top of that, the squad is deeper in creative options. Michael Olise has arrived as a natural playmaker who can drift into the number 10 space. Youngster Lennart Karl has also emerged as a genuine alternative between the lines. Both can operate in Musiala’s preferred role.

“Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane have shown excellent chemistry in their rotations. We also know that Olise and Karl can play in the number 10 role. Kompany will find the right mix again. Musiala showed promise at the end of the season at Bayern, and there were also promising signs at the World Cup. But there are no more excuses,” Matthäus stressed.

The pressure is not theoretical. It is positional. Every time Musiala fails to light up a game, there are ready-made replacements who can.

A crucial pre-season for Musiala

Musiala’s summer has brought one final medical chapter. In July 2026 he underwent a minor procedure to remove the metal stabilisation plate that had supported his leg since that fateful night against PSG. The operation is a symbolic closing of the injury story – and a practical one, too.

Now he has to rebuild match fitness the hard way: minutes, intensity, duels, risk. Pre-season will not be a gentle easing-in period but an audition. Kompany’s starting XI is not set in stone, yet the coach will want clarity before the first serious ball is kicked.

Musiala knows what is at stake. A strong pre-season could re-establish him as the central creative force behind Kane. A sluggish one could see him nudged to the margins, reduced to chasing games from the bench while Olise, Karl or even Gnabry occupy the central pockets of space he once made his own.

Kompany’s balancing act

All of this plays out against a demanding backdrop for Kompany. Bayern are defending their Bundesliga title and still chasing the Champions League crown that keeps slipping from their grasp. Last season’s semi-final exit to back-to-back winners PSG still stings.

Kompany must now find an attacking formula that can dominate domestically and stand up to Europe’s elite. That means difficult choices. Sentiment will not survive the first dropped points.

If Musiala hits top form, Bayern gain a uniquely elusive dribbler and line-breaking playmaker in the number 10 role, someone who can link with Kane and tilt games on his own. If he doesn’t, Kompany has already been reminded – publicly, and pointedly – that he has other options.

The injury is gone. The metal plate is out. The competition is real.

What remains is the question that will shape Musiala’s season: does he reclaim the heart of this Bayern side, or watch someone else take it?