‘Hopefully it’s not as bad as it looks’ – Jamal Musiala ‘in hospital’ after ankle injury

Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala looks set for another prolonged spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious ankle injury in the side’s 2-0 Club World Cup quarter-final defeat by Paris St-Germain.

It was Musiala’s first start in months as, since early April, he had been recovering from a hamstring injury that had kept him out of the final month of Bayern’s Bundesliga campaign.

At the end of an entertaining but goalless first half at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Musiala was caught by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma while chasing down an overhit Michael Olise pass near the byeline.

Germany international Musiala emerged from the challenge screaming in agony and clutching his left ankle, while several players – including the distraught Donnarumma – had to avert their eyes as the Bayern physios sprinted on to the pitch.

“He has had to go to hospital,” Bayern manager Vincent Kompany told DAZN. “It didn’t look good. The overwhelming feeling is hopefully it’s not as bad as it looks and he gets through this one.”

Kompany added in his post-match news conference: “I’ve rarely been so angry at half-time, not against my players.

“There are many things in life that are much more important than this, but in the end, for these guys, it’s their life. He came back from a setback, and then it happens in the way it happens and you feel powerless.

“You try and get strength out of it because you want to do it for Jamal. The thing that gets my blood still boiling at the moment, it’s not the result.

“I understand this is football, but it’s the fact that it happened to someone that, for one, enjoys the game so much, but also is very important for us.”

German football expert Raphael Honigstein said: “The Bayern Munich players were evidently rattled and you could see maybe it took some time, when they came out from half-time, to readjust and find their focus again.

“He’s a player that is so important to Bayern. It’s bad for Bayern and for him to miss what I’m sure will be a few months at the very least.”