Vincent Kompany hospitalized: Bayern Munich relies on Aaron Danks for Freiburg
The club's director of sport says no recovery timeline exists for the 40-year-old manager, who collapsed on the training pitch.
By Kevin Iyer ·
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany is expected to miss several weeks of work due to a viral illness. The club announced on Saturday that the 40-year-old remains in a hospital bed, a day after he collapsed on the training pitch. Director of Sport Max Eberl described Kompany's condition as stable but noted that medical examinations are still ongoing.
Eberl stated that the medical team has not established a specific recovery timeframe. He explained that the club must first understand the specific nature of the virus before calculating how long Kompany will be sidelined. The absence will be measured in weeks, Eberl said, rather than days. He emphasized that the club will give Kompany all the time he needs to recover fully.
Aaron Danks, the club's assistant coach, will take charge of the team for Sunday's Bundesliga match at Freiburg. Danks, who is English, led the press conference on Kompany's behalf. He revealed that he spoke briefly with Kompany on Friday. Danks said the call was strictly to check on the former Manchester City captain's health and avoid discussing football.
Danks told reporters that he told Kompany there would be no football conversations during their brief chat. He added that all football operations are now in the hands of the coaching staff. The team will work together to keep the club moving forward while Kompany recovers. Danks confirmed that Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will also miss the Freiburg game, as he has been on bereavement leave since Tuesday.
The club did not seek a postponement for the upcoming fixture. Eberl said the best way to support Kompany's recovery is a strong performance against Freiburg. He suggested that a positive result would be a major boost for the manager. Bayern's second team match was postponed on Friday following the collapse, but the first team will play as scheduled.
Kompany returned to the dugout for Wednesday's home match against Arsenal despite suffering from the virus. He admitted afterward that he ignored warning signs from his body. He described the illness as a nasty virus that eventually forced him to stop. Bayern Munich enters Sunday's game as Bundesliga leaders, holding a one-point advantage over Freiburg.
The team's next match after Freiburg is a Champions League fixture on November 3. They will travel to Madrid to face Atletico Madrid. The coaching staff will manage the squad through this period while Kompany continues his hospital treatment.
