Jamal Musiala's Absence Seizures: Bayern's Response and Support
Jamal Musiala had barely stepped onto the pitch before the worry returned.
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 again – collapsing for the second time in four days, in scenes eerily similar to Saturday’s scare against RB Leipzig.
Team-mates rushed to him. Harry Kane, once more, was among the first at his side.
In the days since, Musiala has tried to take control of the narrative. He revealed he is dealing with what he called “easily treatable absence seizures”, caused by a form of “neurological dysfunction”. The words were calm. The images from the pitch were anything but.
Kane, speaking to BBC Sport on Wednesday, did not disguise the concern in the dressing room.
“Jamal is obviously going through a bit of a difficult moment right now,” the England captain said. “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.”
Bayern knew before the World Cup
Inside Bayern, Musiala’s condition is not a total shock.
The club have confirmed there were signs of the issue even before the World Cup, though it had not affected his ability to play. Then came last weekend in Leipzig – the first time anything happened in full view of the football world.
“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.”
The second collapse, so soon after the first, sparked a wave of criticism and anxiety. Why had Musiala been allowed to play on Tuesday at all?
Bayern moved quickly to explain.
“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.”
What are absence seizures?
Musiala’s diagnosis has thrown a medical term into the mainstream conversation: absence seizures.
They are a form of generalised seizure, most often seen in children and young adults. There are two main types – typical and atypical – and they can look deceptively mild.
Dr Meneka Sidhu, consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, explains that typical absence seizures usually last only seconds. To an onlooker, the person may simply appear to be daydreaming or staring blankly.
In an absence seizure, awareness is impaired to varying degrees. Balance can go. The person may become unresponsive for the duration of the episode.
“It can be very short-lasting, and the person can continue like nothing happened,” Dr Sidhu said. With atypical absences that last longer, she added, people may show automatic movements – fidgeting with their hands, eyelid fluttering, lip smacking. Some people may fall.
Repeated absence seizures over more than 24 hours can indicate epilepsy. Medication, though, can control them.
“For anybody affected by epilepsy, it is important to try to identify triggers,” Dr Sidhu said. For athletes, those triggers can include hyperventilation and dehydration.
Her message for sportspeople is blunt but reassuring: “When effectively treated, there is no reason absence seizures should stop anyone playing sport.”
There is precedent at elite level. Rugby player Tommy Freeman began having absence seizures at 14, was later diagnosed with epilepsy and now manages his condition with medication while playing for Northampton and England.
Musiala, in his own Instagram statement after Tuesday’s collapse, said the seizures have become part of his everyday life. The challenge now is making sure they do not define his career.
A brutal 18 months
The timing could hardly be crueller.
Musiala’s latest health setback comes at the end of an 18-month stretch that has repeatedly derailed one of Europe’s brightest attacking talents.
His 2024-25 campaign was cut short in early April by injury. Just over a week later, he was involved in a serious traffic accident. He still clawed his way back two months on to feature at the Fifa Club World Cup, only for disaster to strike again.
In the quarter-final against Paris St-Germain, Musiala suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle after a collision with Gianluigi Donnarumma. The damage sidelined him for 196 days.
When he did finally return, it was with a metal plate in his foot. He played with that from January through to the end of this summer’s World Cup in North America, where he still managed four appearances for Germany.
The plate came out in July. That surgery meant another disrupted pre-season, more missed team training, more stop-start rhythm.
“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 planning – and the transfer question
Clubs at Bayern’s level do not leave key positions unprotected. The summer signing of Morocco attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari, in a £43m deal, is part footballing strategy, part insurance policy.
“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.”
For now, then, the idea of a record-breaking transfer feels distant. Bayern’s immediate concern is restoring Musiala to health and confidence, not cashing in.
Inside the dressing room, the response has been clear. Kane says the squad will close ranks around their team-mate.
“He is a great player, extremely talented,” the striker said. “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.”
The medical experts say absence seizures, treated properly, do not have to end a sporting career. Bayern’s hierarchy have their written assurances. The squad have made their position clear.
What remains is the unknown: how quickly Jamal Musiala can turn another brutal setback into just a chapter, not the story, of his prime years.
