Jamal Musiala's Absence Seizures: A New Challenge for Bayern Munich Star

Jamal Musiala had barely stepped onto the pitch before the worry set in again.

Eight minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in Bayern Munich’s pre-season friendly against Heidenheim on Tuesday, the 23-year-old went down, collapsing for the second time in four days. The images were chillingly familiar to those from Saturday’s game against RB Leipzig: team-mates rushing over, Harry Kane among the first to comfort him, concern etched across faces that have seen a lot, but not this.

This time, though, there was an explanation.

Musiala later revealed he is experiencing “easily treatable absence seizures”, a consequence of what he described as a form of “neurological dysfunction”. The words were calm, controlled. The scenes on the pitch were anything but.

A condition in the spotlight

Bayern have now confirmed there were signs of Musiala’s condition even before the World Cup. It had been monitored, managed, but crucially, it had never impacted his ability to play. Not until now.

“We have been aware of the problems for some time,” honorary president Uli Hoeness told Sky Sports. “But last weekend against Leipzig was the first time it happened on the pitch and was visible to everyone.

“We thought that if it didn't happen again so quickly, the medication he is taking would help. But when it happened again four days later, in the same way, I was stunned.”

He wasn’t alone. Many Bayern supporters immediately questioned why Musiala had been sent back out so soon after his first collapse. The club moved quickly to show that the decision was not taken lightly.

“We've already taken precautions,” Hoeness said. “The doctors treating him, the neurologists and specialists, have provided us with written confirmation – because this was absolutely essential for us – that, in their view, there are no concerns regarding Jamal taking part in high-performance sport.

“Without that, we would have been acting negligently. Since we've had this written confirmation, we've been sleeping a little more soundly.

“But I must say, I'm rarely at a loss for words or without a clear solution. We'll have to feel our way through this new situation first.”

Kane: “We just have to support him”

Inside the dressing room, the response has been clear. Kane, Bayern’s captain in all but name, spoke openly about the impact on the squad.

“Jamal is obviously going through a bit of a difficult moment right now,” he told BBC Sport. “I know he posted on social media about the small condition he has and from our point of view it is just about supporting Jamal.

“He is going through something that not everyone goes through, but there are also people who have dealt with it before and he is doing everything possible to be his best version.”

Kane didn’t stop there.

“He is a great player, extremely talented. He is a big part of our team. We feel really sorry for him and frustrated for him when things happen like they do in the last couple of games.

“He has the full support from everyone here at Bayern and his friends and family, and we will be there to help him deal with it.

“He came off the back of a tough injury last season, I know how much he works behind the scenes and on the training pitch. From our point of view it is just to be there to support him and not just from my point of view, but the whole team as well.”

On Tuesday night, Musiala tried to take control of the narrative himself. In a statement on Instagram, he explained that the seizures have become part of his everyday life. The aim was clear: inform, reassure, and show he is not stepping away from the game.

What are absence seizures?

Away from the emotion, the medical reality is more measured.

Absence seizures are a type of generalised seizure most commonly seen in children and young adults. They come in two forms: typical and atypical.

Dr Meneka Sidhu, consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, described typical absence seizures as episodes that usually last only seconds. To an onlooker, the person might seem to be staring into space, daydreaming, or looking blank.

In an absence seizure, there is a varying degree of loss of awareness. The person can lose balance, become unresponsive, and then snap back as if nothing happened.

“It can be very short-lasting, and the person can continue like nothing happened,” Dr Sidhu said. “With atypical absences that last longer, people may have automatic movements like fidgeting with their hands, eyelid fluttering and lip smacking. Some people may fall.”

Repeated absence seizures over more than 24 hours can be a sign of epilepsy, but they can be controlled with medication.

“For anybody affected by epilepsy, it is important to try to identify triggers,” she added. “For people who play sport, triggers may include hyperventilation and dehydration.

“When effectively treated, there is no reason absence seizures should stop anyone playing sport.”

That last line matters in Munich. It offers a path forward.

Not the first elite athlete to manage it

Musiala is not alone in dealing with this kind of condition at the highest level.

Rugby player Tommy Freeman began having absence seizures at 14. He was later diagnosed with epilepsy and now manages it with medication while playing for Northampton and England. His career has not been defined by the diagnosis, but by how he has lived and played with it.

That example will not be lost on Musiala, nor on Bayern’s medical staff.

A brutal 18 months

Even before this latest development, Musiala’s recent career had been battered by misfortune.

His 2024-25 campaign ended in early April because of injury. Just over a week later, he was involved in a serious traffic accident. The timeline reads like a list of setbacks, not seasons.

He still fought back in time to feature at the Fifa Club World Cup two months later, only for disaster to strike again. In the quarter-final against Paris St-Germain, he suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle. The damage ruled him out for 196 days.

When he finally returned, it was with a metal plate in his foot, which he played with from January through to the end of the summer’s World Cup in North America, where he made four appearances for Germany. The plate was only removed in July, limiting his pre-season training and leaving him chasing fitness once more.

“Musiala hasn't been much of a factor in the past 18 months,” German football expert Constantin Eckner said. “He came back for the Club World Cup but suffered a broken leg when he collided with Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“It took him months to recover from that. He just had a metal plate removed from his left foot so he played with that for half a year and had to deal with ankle issues.

“Naturally, his performances left much to be desired. The start to the upcoming season would have been difficult anyway, because he didn't take part in team training for some time due to the surgery in which the plate was removed. Now, there's another stumbling block.”

Bayern’s insurance policy

Bayern have not ignored the risk. Their £43m move for Morocco attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari this summer was, Eckner pointed out, partly about protecting themselves if Musiala’s body continues to betray him.

“Musiala is Bayern's top earner alongside Harry Kane, but his contribution hasn't been anywhere close to Kane's,” Eckner said. “He is still young and things can change again.

“He has a release clause in his contract that could be triggered next summer, but the fee would be in the nine digits. It is unrealistic that any club would be willing to pay that for him at the moment.”

That is the hard business reality. On the pitch, though, the story is more personal.

A 23-year-old who should be gliding into his prime now finds himself learning how to live, train and compete with a neurological condition that flares without warning. The medical advice says his career does not have to stop. Bayern’s hierarchy say they trust that advice. His team-mates say they will stand with him.

The next time Jamal Musiala steps onto a pitch, the questions will not be about talent. They rarely have been. The question now is whether his body will finally give him the uninterrupted run his ability deserves.