Bayern say coach Kompany ‘stable’ in hospital but will be out for weeks

What the report says

Bayern Munich say head coach Vincent Kompany is in hospital in stable condition after collapsing during training on Friday, according to comments from club director of sport Max Eberl at a Saturday news conference. The club said further medical examinations are under way to understand the cause of the illness, which has been described as a virus, and that Kompany is expected to be sidelined for weeks rather than days.

Assistant coach Aaron Danks is set to lead Bayern for Sunday’s Bundesliga match at Freiburg. Eberl said the club’s focus is on Kompany’s recovery and that no firm timetable has been set for his return. Danks said he had briefly spoken to Kompany to check on his health, while stressing that the football staff would manage operations together in his absence.

The episode comes during a busy run for the German champions, who are top of the Bundesliga and due to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on November 3. Bayern’s second team match was postponed after the collapse, but the club decided not to seek a delay for the first team’s league fixture. Kompany had recently returned to the dugout for a home match against Arsenal after previously missing media duties because of illness. He later said he had tried to push through a severe virus before his body forced him to stop.