Vincent Kompany expected to miss weeks after hospitalisation

Vincent Kompany is expected to miss “weeks, not days” as he receives hospital treatment for a virus, Bayern Munich have said. The club’s sporting director, Max Eberl, confirmed on Saturday that the head coach remained in hospital in a stable condition. The length of his absence has not yet been determined.

Kompany was hospitalised after collapsing on the training pitch on Friday. Examinations are continuing to establish the nature of his condition and the time he will need to recover, Eberl said. The club also said he would remain in hospital for further examinations and medical care.

“Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We’re not starting to put together any timeframes. We need to firstly figure out what it is and then we’ll discuss calmly what recovery time is to be. We won’t be talking about days, but weeks. We need to all be clear on that,” Eberl said. The sporting director also stressed that Kompany’s health came first and that he was receiving the necessary medical care and support.

Kompany had returned to the touchline on Wednesday for a 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal, despite missing the pre-match press conference because of the virus. After the game, he said his body had reacted after he tried to push through the illness: “I caught a pretty nasty virus last week, and of course I didn’t listen to my body – and then at some point my body just said: ‘Enough is enough!’”

He was also absent from Saturday’s press conference. Assistant coach Aaron Danks said he had spoken to Kompany briefly on Friday, only to check on him. “I explained to him that we wouldn’t be having any football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he’s OK,” Danks said. He added that the coaching staff had taken charge of football operations and would work together to keep the club moving forward.

Bayern did not consider postponing Sunday’s Bundesliga match against Freiburg, although the reserve team’s game was postponed on Friday after Kompany collapsed. Danks is set to take charge for the fixture. Eberl said he hoped the team would play well and, ideally, get a positive result, which he described as one way to help Kompany.

Bayern’s next Champions League match is scheduled for 3 November in Spain against Atlético Madrid. The club said Kompany’s coaching team would manage training and match operations until further notice, with his health remaining the priority.