Matthäus Challenges Musiala: Time to Step Up

Jamal Musiala has been given a clear message from one of Bayern Munich’s greatest figures: the time for sympathy is over.

Lothar Matthäus, never one to sugar-coat a verdict, has urged the 23-year-old to rediscover his very best level ahead of the new season, insisting that last year’s horror injury can no longer serve as a shield.

Musiala’s story over the past 18 months has been brutal. A fractured fibula and dislocated ankle against PSG at the FIFA Club World Cup in July 2025 cut him down at full stride. Six months out. Then the slow, cautious return in early 2026. Minutes here and there. Flashes, not full performances.

Now, as far as Matthäus is concerned, that chapter has to close.

“Eventually, the serious injury he suffered over a year ago will heal. He needs to finally put it behind him,” the 65-year-old wrote in his Sky Sport column, warning that the attacking midfielder risks watching too much football from the bench if he doesn’t hit top gear quickly. “That’s crucial now, otherwise, he’ll likely spend a lot of time off the bench due to the stiff competition.”

A frontline that works – with or without Musiala

The problem for Musiala is not just his own rhythm. It’s what has grown around him while he fought his way back.

Bayern’s attacking structure has settled into something that looks ominously coherent without him as an automatic starter. Matthäus highlighted the almost instinctive understanding between Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry, a partnership that has become the spine of Vincent Kompany’s forward line.

“Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane have shown excellent chemistry in their rotations,” Matthäus noted. That telepathy, those little movements and exchanged glances in the final third, make it harder for Kompany to justify breaking things up just to accommodate anyone — even a talent as rare as Musiala.

And there’s more competition circling his preferred zone. Michael Olise offers creativity and guile in tight spaces. Youngster Lennart Karl has pushed his way into the conversation as another option in the number 10 role. Each of them chips away at Musiala’s margin for error.

“We also know that Olise and Karl can play in the number 10 role. Kompany will find the right mix again,” Matthäus wrote. The subtext is clear: the mix does not have to include Musiala from the first minute.

Promise shown – but the bar has been raised

It’s not as if Musiala has vanished. He stirred back to life at the end of last season, producing encouraging performances for Bayern and showing bright moments on the World Cup stage. The talent remains obvious: the glide past a defender, the tight control in crowded pockets, the ability to decide games with a single action.

Matthäus acknowledged those signs of recovery, but he refused to let them become a comfort blanket.

“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,” he concluded.

The phrase lands like a line in the sand. Past tense promise is no longer enough. Bayern’s attack is functioning, the dressing room is stacked with alternatives, and Kompany has already shown he will prioritise balance over reputation.

Pre-season as a proving ground

This summer offers Musiala both a hurdle and a chance.

In July 2026, he underwent a minor procedure to remove the metal stabilisation plate inserted after his leg break. Another medical step, another short reset. Now comes the grind: rebuilding match fitness through pre-season, finding sharpness, proving that his body can once again match his imagination.

The timing is ruthless. Bayern head into 2026-27 as defending Bundesliga champions and wounded Champions League contenders, still smarting from last season’s semi-final exit to back-to-back winners PSG. Kompany must fine-tune an attack capable of dominating domestically and going one step further in Europe.

Every training session, every friendly, every tactical drill will feed into one core decision: who owns that central creative role when the real games start?

For Musiala, this is no longer about recovery timelines or medical reports. It’s about whether he can force his way past a Kane–Gnabry axis in full flow, fend off Olise and Karl, and reclaim the shirt that once seemed destined to be his for a decade.

The door is still open. But for the first time in his Bayern career, it won’t stay that way unless he kicks it down.