Vincent Kompany is touch and go to be in the Bayern Munich dugout for Wednesday night’s Champions League tie against Arsenal at the Allianz Arena as he battles a debilitating virus that has affected his legs. Kompany was unable to attend Bayern’s training session on Tuesday before the game and ceded responsibility for the pre-match press conference to his assistant, Aaron Danks.
Kompany has been told to rest after he struggled through Bayern’s 6-1 Bundesliga home win over RB Leipzig on Saturday, after which the club’s sporting director, Max Eberl, addressed the media instead of him. German reports have suggested Kompany needed to lie down on his sofa at home after the Leipzig game and that the viral infection affected an existing hip problem, meaning he could hardly walk.
Danks confirmed the infection has affected Kompany’s legs at times and that he has felt pain in them, but he was not sure about the reports of the manager lying on the couch. “It has affected his legs at times,” Danks said. “He’s felt some pain in his legs. I’m not sure about the reports about him lying down on the couch. I think we can all have a lie down on the couch after a game. It’s just a virus. The doctors and experts know way more than I do. The most important thing we have encouraged is that he rests; he takes the time he needs – however long that may be.”
There is no clear timeframe for Kompany’s return. Danks said he could not say whether the manager would be available tomorrow or in two or three days, adding that the club is taking it day by day. “Getting Vince to rest is a challenge,” Danks said. “You know him as a person. He’s a real leader. He works hard.”
If Kompany cannot make it to the stadium, Danks will take charge against Arsenal. He did the same last season for the first leg of Bayern’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain when Kompany was suspended. PSG won that game 5-4 at the Parc des Princes and progressed 6-5 on aggregate, before beating Arsenal in the final on penalties. Danks, who was born in Birmingham, briefly took caretaker charge of Aston Villa in 2022 and has coached at Anderlecht and Middlesbrough. He said he would be in communication with Kompany “in some shape or form” if the manager is unable to come to the stadium.