For Bayern Munich, this is more than just another injury update. Jamal Musiala, the club’s brilliant young playmaker and one of Europe’s brightest attacking talents, is back on the grass with his teammates. After nearly six months out with a broken left leg and ankle dislocation, the 22-year-old has returned to partial team training at Säbener Straße, putting a long and painful spell on the sidelines close to an end.

For a Bayern side already steamrolling the 2025/26 season, Musiala’s comeback is both a boost and a warning to rivals: the Bundesliga leaders are about to get even stronger.

From horror injury to hopeful return

Musiala’s injury back in July 2025 was the kind that makes even seasoned professionals look away. During Bayern’s FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the attacker suffered a broken left leg and an ankle dislocation. It was a brutal end to his summer and raised real fears over how long he would be out and what level he could reach again.

The diagnosis was clear: a long road back, with months of rehab and no guarantees. For a player whose game is built on quick turns, sharp dribbles and light feet in tight spaces, any damage to the leg and ankle is especially worrying.

Yet by mid-November, there were signs of hope. On 17 November 2025, Musiala was spotted back on the pitch at Bayern’s training base at Säbener Straße, taking part in ball training exercises. No contact, no heavy pressure, but a first key step: moving freely, touching the ball, feeling like a footballer again.

Back in partial training – and ahead of schedule

The big moment has now arrived. Musiala has rejoined partial team training for the first time since the injury. That means he is training with the group in selected drills, slowly being eased back into the full rhythm of the squad.

According to reporting in Germany, including Bild via iMiaSanMia, Bayern sources expect that his return to the matchday squad could come “as early as next week”, around late December 2025. That is slightly ahead of the original target, which had been a careful comeback in January 2026.

“If Musiala is already back this year, Bayern’s attack goes from scary to unfair.”

Head coach Vincent Kompany, though, refuses to get swept away by the excitement. Asked about a return date, he kept his message calm and measured:

“When will he come back? The plan was January, but we’ll see… These long-term injuries can sometimes heal a little faster, but sometimes they take longer. That’s why I want to give him the necessary rest for his return.”

Kompany’s words underline the balance Bayern are trying to strike. Yes, there is real progress. Yes, late December is now a realistic target. But the club also knows that rushing a player back from such a serious injury would be a huge risk, especially with so much of the season still to come.

Bayern already flying – now comes the Musiala bonus

What makes this story even more striking is that Bayern have not just coped without Musiala – they have dominated. Under Kompany, the German champions opened their 2025/26 campaign with a stunning run of 16 straight wins in all competitions before finally being held to a draw.

They sit top of the Bundesliga and lead the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. The machine is humming, the results are rolling in, and the confidence is high.

Now, Musiala’s return promises a different dimension in attack. With his ability to glide past defenders, slip into tight spaces, and link midfield and forwards, he is not just another body in the squad. He is one of the few players who can change the whole feel of a game with a single run or touch.

In simple terms: Bayern are already winning. With Musiala, they can start to control games even more and unlock defences that might have hoped his absence would last longer.

“The scary part is Bayern didn’t need Musiala to dominate – but they’ll need him to win everything.”

Last long-term absentee back in the fold

Musiala is also part of a wider recovery story at Bayern. He is the last of three long-term injured players to make it back to team training.

Defender Hiroki Ito and left-back Alphonso Davies, both important pieces in Kompany’s system, have already returned to the training pitch. Their comebacks helped Bayern steady their squad depth in defence and build rhythm in the back line.

Now, with Musiala rejoining the group, Kompany finally has his key long-term absentees back involved. It is a major win for Bayern’s medical and performance staff, whose careful injury management seems to be paying off at just the right time in the season.

Fixture crunch and the winter break timing

Bayern’s schedule before the winter break makes the timing of Musiala’s comeback even more interesting. The club face a high-profile clash with Arsenal in the Champions League on 26 November and a DFB Cup tie with Union Berlin on 3 December.

Even if Musiala is not ready to start these games, just having him close to a competitive return changes the mood around the squad. Teammates see a familiar face back in drills. Opponents know another world-class threat is about to be available.

After the winter break, Bayern’s first match of 2026 is set for 11 January against Wolfsburg. That date had long been marked as a natural point for Musiala to be eased back in. Now, if he does make the squad before the end of December, he could reach that Wolfsburg game not as a returning player, but as someone already back in the swing of competition.

“Kompany has earned the right to be cautious – trophies are not won in December, but you can lose players for a season.”

Why this matters for Germany and the 2026 World Cup

Musiala’s recovery is not only big news for Bayern Munich. It also has a national impact. The attacker is expected to be a central figure for Germany at the 2026 World Cup, which runs from 11 June to 19 July in North America.

To arrive at that tournament at his best, Musiala needs months of regular club football. Games, minutes, rhythm – all the things a serious injury takes away. A return in late December or early January is therefore crucial, as it gives him enough time to build form and confidence through the second half of the season.

For German fans and national team staff, every piece of positive news from Säbener Straße is a small sigh of relief. A smooth, careful return now could mean a sharper, more decisive Musiala in the summer of 2026, when Germany will rely on him to create chances on the biggest stage.

Managing expectations: what Bayern need from Musiala now

Even as excitement grows, Bayern will know they cannot expect Musiala to be at his absolute peak from day one. Long-term injuries often come with mental and physical hurdles: trust in the body, timing, confidence in one-on-one situations.

In the short term, Kompany’s main goals will likely be simple:

• Get Musiala back into matchday squads carefully.
• Build up his minutes step by step.
• Protect him from overload, especially in tight fixture runs.
• Let him find his rhythm without the pressure of “saving” games.

The good news for Bayern is that their current form means there is no need to rush. They are not chasing the pack; they are leading it. That gives Kompany and his staff the freedom to think long-term about Musiala’s health and performance.

The bigger picture: Bayern’s next level

In the end, this story is about more than a timeline. It is about what kind of Bayern Munich we will see when Musiala is fully back.

With the team already top of the Bundesliga and setting the pace in Europe, his return adds:

• More creativity between the lines.
• Extra goal threat from midfield.
• Better rotation options for Kompany in attack.
• A psychological lift in the dressing room and on the terraces.

For a 22-year-old to have that kind of impact says everything about the level Musiala has already reached in his young career.

After months of silence, rehab rooms and lonely gym sessions, the sound around him is changing. The noise of teammates calling for the ball. The shouts of coaches. Soon, the roar of the Allianz Arena again.

Bayern have been brilliant without Jamal Musiala. With him, they might just be complete.