Bayern Munich and Germany star Jamal Musiala has suffered through various injuries and fitness issues over the last couple of seasons, with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle in July 2025 the most serious hurdle he’s faced.
The 23-year-old had been hoping that the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign would finally put his bad luck behind him. But the attacking midfielder’s pre-season was disrupted by an altogether different medical issue that has left football fans worrying over his health.
Suffering through mysterious bouts of unconsciousness during Bayern’s pre-season friendlies, Musiala’s immediate playing future has been left hanging in the balance.
What Happened to Jamal Musiala?
REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Musiala collapsed in two consecutive friendlies whilst representing Bayern Munich. The first incident, which happened during Bayern’s 3-1 friendly win over RB Leipzig on August 15, 2026, made headlines. Looking dazed during the match, Musiala was safely assisted to the turf by new signing Ismael Saibari before receiving medical treatment.
Subsequent medical tests revealed no deeper lying issues and the playmaker quickly returned to training. “The most important thing is that he is well,” commented Bayern Munich executive Max Eberl after the match. “There’s nothing more to say about anything else.” Bayern boss Vincent Kompany also reassured concerned fans that the collapse was likely a combination of the extreme heat and Musiala’s recent medical issues.
But serious concern for the young Bayern star was raised just four days later. Eight minutes after coming on as a substitute in the friendly against Heidenheim, Musiala again collapsed on the pitch. Musiala’s worried teammates surrounded him as the team’s medical staff assessed the player’s health. Positively, Musiala was able to walk off the pitch unassisted and allayed concerns with an update after the second incident.
What Caused Jamal Musiala to Collapse?
REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
After the second collapse during the Heidenheim fixture, Musiala revealed that absence seizures had been the cause of his medical issues during pre-season.
As outlined by Johns Hopkins Medicine, absence seizures are “caused by abnormal brain activity. These mixed messages confuse your brain and cause a seizure. An absence seizure causes you to blank out or stare into space for a few seconds. […] They usually don’t cause any long-term problems. They often occur after a period of very fast breathing (hyperventilation).”
Most sufferers return to normality quite quickly, with it being “rare for them to last longer than 15 minutes.” Absence seizures tend to be more common in children, and it is currently unknown whether Musiala suffered similar issues in his formative years.
Following the second collapse, Musiala released a statement via his Instagram account confirming the diagnosis:
“I want to put those concerns to rest today and explain a little more: I have been diagnosed with brief, temporary episodes of absence that are easily treatable and are caused by a neurological dysfunction. These can lead to the moments that have occurred recently, such as against Leipzig and now in Heidenheim. I know that they may seem scary at first glance – but for me, they are currently simply part of my everyday life. I am receiving the best possible medical care in this regard, and I am very optimistic. FC Bayern and the people closest to me are always by my side and supporting me on this journey.”
Musiala also added that it was his decision to return to play against Heidenheim, even after suffering his first absence seizure incident just four days prior against RB Leipzig:
“What is important is that there is no additional health risk beyond this. In close consultation and regular communication with the specialists, it was my personal wish to face this challenge and, with the approval of the neurological specialists, to continue doing what helps me most in my recovery: simply living my everyday life and continuing to pursue my passion of playing football. I have taken responsibility for that decision.”
How Serious is Jamal Musiala’s Condition?
REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Despite Musiala gaining medical approval to return quickly to professional football, there will be some long-term concern over his diagnosis. As highlighted by John Hopkins Medicine, absence seizures can be a precursor to epilepsy, as “a diagnosis can be made after two or more seizures by a neurologist.”
As shown by Musiala’s case, absence seizures do not normally cause physical injury to the sufferer. However, the context in which they occur can present dangers. If an individual suffers an absence seizure during an activity that requires uninterrupted attention, such as driving or riding a bike, it can create issues for the person and potentially the people around them.
Fantasy Premier League is growing more and more popular with every season that goes by. The free-to-play-game, which was created in 2002, is played by over 13 million people from across the world.
One individual who knows a thing or two about being successful in the game is Ben Crabtree, the winner of the 2016/17 Fantasy Premier League season. Crabtree’s team, FC Crab Dogg, scored 2,564 points over the course of that campaign to etch his name in history.
Crabtree, an Everton fan, has picked Carl Rushworth and Senne Lammens as his starting goalkeepers. Rushworth completed a £22.5 million move to Coventry City this summer following a successful loan spell and will start for the club in England’s top tier. Lammens, meanwhile, helped Manchester United to eight clean sheets in the 25/26 Premier League season.
In defence, Crabtree has gone with Riccardo Calafiori, Milan van Ewijk, Vitalii Mykolenko, Jaka Bijol and Josko Gvardiol.
Arsenal boast the best defence in the Premier League but only Calafiori makes it into his side. Gabriel Magalhaes, the top scoring defender in the 2025/26 season, doesn’t make his side.
Morgan Rogers is included in Crabtree’s midfield alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Antoine Semenyo, Bryan Mbuemo and Christos Tzolis. Interestingly, there is no place for Bruno Fernandes, who broke the Premier League assist record in 2025/26 and is at the heart of everything good that Man Utd does.
Erling Haaland costs £15.5m this season, making him the most expensive player in the game’s history. He makes it into Crabtree’s XI alongside Chelsea’s Joao Pedro and Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Former FPL Champion’s 2026/27 Gameweek 1 team
Position
Player
Team
Price
GK
Carl Rushworth
Coventry City
£4.5m
GK
Senne Lammens
Manchester United
£5.0m
DEF
Riccardo Calafiori
Arsenal
£5.5m
DEF
Milan van Ewijk
Coventry City
£4.0m
DEF
Vitalii Mykolenko
Everton
£4.5m
DEF
Jaka Bijol
Leeds United
£5.0m
DEF
Josko Gvardiol
Manchester City
£5.5m
MID
Morgan Rogers
Chelsea
£7.5m
MID
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Everton
£6.5m
MID
Antoine Semenyo
Manchester City
£8.5m
MID
Bryan Mbeumo
Manchester United
£8.0m
MID
Christos Tzolis
Arsenal
£6.5m
FWD
Joao Pedro
Chelsea
£7.5m
FWD
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Leeds United
£6.0m
FWD
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
£15.5m
Current Premier League Champion Gives Tips For Success
He said: “The biggest thing is being consistent. A lot of people have one bad week and then give up on the game. I didn’t start well and was eight millionth in the world after week one, whereas the person who came second was in the top 100.
“It’s easy to forget there are 38 gameweeks and that things can change so much. Many people have a bad week and then burn everything trying to fix things immediately.
“Instead, be patient. If you could plan three or five weeks ahead by looking at upcoming fixtures that’s a great start.”
He added: “I think it’s really fun to add your own touch to the game. But if you really want to be competitive and still have players from your own team, you need to do an extra step of research.
“As an Evertonian I really like Thierno Barry, but he shares minutes with Beto so as an FPL asset it’s not a great idea. Mixing these two worlds is possible although it it will be harder for some teams.
“If you’re a Manchester City fan, of course you can pick Erling Haaland. If you support Hull, well, good luck.”
Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa, according to David Ornstein.
The Gunners have been in the market for a new centre-back all summer after it was revealed that William Saliba would miss several months of the new season due to a back injury. After being linked with the likes of Jarell Quansah, John Stones and Cristian Romero, Konsa emerged as the priority target.
Ornstein suggests that while the deal isn’t concluded, dialogue at the ownership level has led to the gap in the valuation between the two clubs being reduced.
Villa have been reported to be holding out for £60 million, so it remains to be seen whether the West Midlanders will ultimately get their wish.
A change in drivers has been confirmed for Red Bull Racing ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend after Isack Hadjar picked up an injury.
The event, held at Circuit Zandvoort in North Holland, marks Formula One’s return from its summer break, but Hadjar won’t be racing. Alan Permane’s team, Racing Bulls, have confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that the substitution will go ahead.
Hadjar has been an immense signing for Red Bull so far, meaning his absence will be a huge blow for the upcoming Grand Prix. The 21-year-old has doubled the contribution of his replacement in just half a season, while also lapping within two-tenths of Max Verstappen on average.
Isack Hadjar’s Dutch Grand Prix Replacement Confirmed
As first reported by Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf, Hadjar picked up a wrist injury during the summer off-season. Replacing him this weekend will be Liam Lawson, who hasn’t raced for Red Bull since the start of the 2025 season.
While Hadjar’s injury isn’t believed to be serious, his team still think it’ll be a couple of weeks until the French-Algerian driver is back in action. It means Lawson will partner Verstappen for the time being, including at the Dutch GP.
The reshuffle also means Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has been drafted into the junior team to replace Lawson. Tsunoda or rookie Arvid Lindblad were the other options to be Verstappen’s temporary teammate, but Red Bull opted for Lawson.
Tsunoda actually stepped in for Lawson last time he drove for Red Bull, after the New Zealander only lasted two races before being demoted. He also failed to meet expectations, however, and was subsequently dropped at the end of the 2025 season.
Hadjar’s Expected Return Date
After sitting out at Zandvoort this weekend, Hadjar will have two weeks to recover before the Italian Grand Prix, which will be held in Monza.
It’s been an impressive debut campaign for the 21-year-old, who was promoted after a strong rookie year with Racing Bulls. He’s expected to remain Verstappen’s partner for next season. As it stands, Hadjar is eighth in the drivers’ standings with 11 of 23 scheduled rounds complete. He’s 41 points back from his Dutch colleague in sixth.
He actually achieved his first podium for Red Bull at Zandvoort last year, so it will be a bitter blow to miss out this time around.
