Bayern Munich expect Vincent Kompany to miss an extended period as the 40-year-old head coach continues hospital treatment for a virus. Sporting director Max Eberl told a press conference on 24 October that Kompany was in a stable condition, that examinations were continuing to establish what was wrong, and that no recovery timeframe had been set, The Guardian reported.

“Vinnie will be given all the time he needs,” Eberl said. “We won’t be talking about days, but weeks. We need to all be clear on that.”

Kompany collapsed on the training pitch on 23 October while watching Bayern's second team, as KBVN+ reported at the time (Kompany taken to hospital after collapsing at training). The latest update makes clear he will not be back in the dugout soon.

Danks in charge, Kimmich also out

Kompany's English assistant, Aaron Danks, takes charge for the Bundesliga trip to Freiburg on 25 October. Danks, who took the pre-match press conference, said he had spoken to Kompany only briefly on 23 October, simply to check on his health. “All the football operations are in our hands and we’ll work together as a team to keep the club moving forward,” he said.

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich, on bereavement leave since Tuesday, will also miss the game, Danks confirmed. Bayern's second-team match was postponed after Kompany's collapse on 23 October, but Eberl said the club did not consider trying to postpone the Freiburg game, arguing that a good performance and a positive result would probably be one of the best things the team could do to help their coach recover.

How Kompany's illness unfolded

Compiled by KBVN+ from The Guardian and Thanh Niên:

  • 18 October: Bayern beat RB Leipzig 6-1. According to German media cited by Thanh Niên, Kompany rested in the dressing room at half-time and after the game and left post-match interviews to club officials.
  • The following days: he missed some training sessions and the press conference before the Champions League game against Arsenal, where Danks stood in (Thanh Niên).
  • 21 October: Kompany was back on the bench for the 2-2 draw with Arsenal. “I caught a pretty nasty virus last week, and of course I didn’t listen to my body,” he said afterwards.
  • 23 October: he collapsed while watching the second team train. Thanh Niên, citing German media, said a rescue helicopter arrived at the Säbener Strasse training ground before he was taken to hospital in Munich.
  • 24 October: Eberl confirmed he was still in hospital in a stable condition and would be out for weeks.

Thanh Niên also reported, citing German media, that the virus had caused discomfort around old scar tissue, making some everyday activities difficult. Bayern have not given an official diagnosis.

What's next

At the start of the weekend Bayern, the defending champions, were top of the Bundesliga on 14 points, level with Borussia Dortmund and one point clear of Freiburg and Leverkusen, according to The Guardian, so the 25 October game is against one of their closest pursuers. Bayern's next Champions League match is away to Atlético Madrid in Spain on 3 November.

There is still no timeline for Kompany's return. Eberl said the club would first work out what the illness is and then discuss calmly how long recovery should take. For the last game Kompany oversaw, see Bayern Munich 2-2 Arsenal.