Aaron Danks Steps In as Bayern Munich Tackles Freiburg Without Kompany

Vincent Kompany, the head coach of Bayern Munich, remains hospitalized as he treats a viral illness, a condition that will keep him away from the sidelines for several weeks. The club announced this development on Saturday, one day after Kompany collapsed on the training pitch.

Sporting Director Max Eberl addressed the media to confirm that Kompany is in stable condition. Eberl noted that medical examinations are still ongoing to determine the specific nature of the illness. He stated that the club has not set a specific recovery timeline and will prioritize understanding the diagnosis before discussing return dates.

"Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We're not starting to put together any timeframes," Eberl said. He emphasized that the absence will be measured in weeks rather than days, and the staff must first identify the root cause of the problem before proceeding calmly with recovery plans.

Assistant coach Aaron Danks will take charge of the team for Sunday's Bundesliga match against Freiburg. Danks, who is English, led the news conference in place of Kompany. He revealed that he spoke briefly with the former Manchester City and Belgium captain on Friday. "I explained to him that we wouldn't be having no football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he's OK," Danks said.

The club decided not to seek a postponement for the match in Freiburg. Eberl argued that a strong performance and a positive result would be the best way to aid Kompany's recovery. "That would probably be one of the best things we could do to help him recover," he said. Bayern's second team match was postponed on Friday following the incident.

Germany national team captain Joshua Kimmich, who has been on bereavement leave since Tuesday, will also miss the game against Freiburg. Danks confirmed this absence during the conference. The team will look to maintain its position in the league table.

Kompany returned to the dugout for Wednesday's home match against Arsenal despite missing the pre-match press conference. He admitted afterward that he ignored early warning signs. "I caught a pretty nasty virus last week, and of course, I didn't listen to my body, and then at some point, my body just said, 'Enough is enough!" he said. Bayern Munich currently leads the Bundesliga by one point over Freiburg and faces Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on November 3.