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14 hours ago
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Bayern Munich have said Jamal Musiala faces a “lengthy” recovery from a leg fracture after his collision with Paris Saint-Germain’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Club World Cup.
Bayern said on Sunday that Musiala had flown back from Florida to Munich that morning for surgery on the injury the attacking midfielder picked up in Saturday’s loss to PSG in the quarter-finals.
Bayern said doctors found Musiala “sustained a fracture of the fibula [a bone in the lower leg] associated with a broken and dislocated ankle”. The Bayern board member for sport, Max Eberl, said in a statement: “This serious injury and the lengthy lay-off are a real shock for Jamal and us all.”
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“This hits FC Bayern. Everyone knows how immensely important Jamal is for our game and what a central role he has in our team. Furthermore, there’s also a huge human impact and we all feel for him. Jamal has just come back from an injury and will now be out for another long period. He’ll get everything he needs from us. We’ll support him intensively, be by his side and already look forward to when he’s back on the pitch.”
The Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was fiercely critical of Donnarumma over the incident on Saturday. “[This is] a situation where you don’t have to go in like that; that’s reckless,” he said. “He accepts the risk of injuring his opponent … It’s a question of respect to go over and wish the guy all the best. He did it afterwards. Fairness is always important. I would have reacted differently.”
Vincent Kompany added that he had “rarely been so angry” over an incident on the pitch. “Someone like Jamal lives for this [game],” the Bayern head coach said. “He’s here after a setback and something like this happens. And you feel powerless.”
After the match, Donnarumma posted on Instagram: “All my prayers and well wishes are with you Jamal.” The PSG manager, Luis Enrique, said Musiala was ‘“very unlucky that Gigi fell on him … I wish him the best. There is no bad intent.”
