Vincent Kompany remains doubtful for Bayern Munich’s Champions League meeting with Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening because of a severe virus affecting his legs. The illness prevented him from overseeing Tuesday’s training session, while his assistant, Aaron Danks, handled the pre-match press conference.
Doctors have advised Kompany to rest after he battled through Bayern’s 6-1 Bundesliga victory at home to RB Leipzig on Saturday. Sporting director Max Eberl spoke to reporters in his place after the match. Reports in Germany suggested the coach had to lie down when he returned home and that the infection had aggravated an existing hip issue, leaving him with significant difficulty walking.
“The illness has affected his legs on occasions,” Danks said. “He has experienced some pain there. I cannot confirm the stories about him needing to lie on the sofa, and many of us want to rest after a match anyway. It is a virus, and the medical staff understand the situation far better than I do. Our main message to him is to recover properly and take as much time as necessary.
“I cannot say whether he will return tomorrow or in another two or three days. We simply have to assess his condition one day at a time. Persuading Vince to slow down is not easy because of his character. He is a natural leader and is always committed to his work.”
If Kompany is unable to attend, Danks will lead Bayern against Arsenal. He previously performed the same role when Kompany was suspended for last season’s dramatic first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern lost that match 5-4 at the Parc des Princes and were eliminated 6-5 on aggregate. The French side later defeated Arsenal on penalties in the final.
Danks, who was born in Birmingham, briefly served as Aston Villa’s caretaker manager in 2022 and has worked on the coaching staffs of clubs such as Anderlecht and Middlesbrough. He said he would remain in contact with Kompany in one way or another if the manager could not attend the game.
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