Medication adjustment caused Musiala’s recent collapses – Kompany

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Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala’s recent collapses during pre-season matches were linked to a change in his medication, head coach Vincent Kompany has said.

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The 23-year-old Germany international collapsed during Bayern’s friendly matches against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim within four days.

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Musiala recently revealed that he is being treated for a neurological dysfunction that causes temporary seizures, which he described as brief and treatable.

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As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, speaking ahead of Bayern’s German Supercup clash with Borussia Dortmund, Kompany said a slight adjustment to Musiala’s treatment had caused side effects.

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“I spoke with Jamal, he said, ‘no problem, you can say it’,” Kompany said.

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“He made a slight change to his treatment, which caused some side effects. It’s perfectly normal to make changes to a treatment plan.”

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Kompany said Bayern had been aware of Musiala’s condition for some time and had worked with leading medical experts to manage it.

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“The initial shock for us was a long time ago. Therefore, we’re not talking about it that much at the moment,” he said.

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“We’ve received much more information since then and made decisions with the help of leading experts. Jamal has everyone’s support.”

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Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said the club had known about Musiala’s condition throughout the previous season and that the midfielder had the full backing of his teammates and the club.

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“We’ve known about it the entire last season. The players also knew about it. For us, it’s become part of everyday life,” Eberl said.

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“We will give him all our support, have already done so, and will continue to do so. We’re doing this together.”

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Musiala has been ruled out of the German Supercup against Borussia Dortmund alongside Lennard Maloney and Serge Gnabry.

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Kompany said Musiala would train individually while Bayern works to get his treatment back to the previous arrangement.

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Musiala had earlier said his seizures had become part of his everyday life. Medical experts explain that absence seizures can cause a temporary loss of awareness and, in some cases, loss of balance.

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Dr Meneka Sidhu, a consultant neurologist, said such seizures can be brief, with affected individuals sometimes appearing to stare blankly or becoming unresponsive.

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She also noted that athletes should identify possible triggers, which can include dehydration and hyperventilation.

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

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Musiala remains an important figure for Bayern Munich, having scored 69 goals and provided 37 assists for the club.

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Bayern will hope the midfielder can safely return to training and competitive action as the club prepares to begin its Bundesliga title defence.

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