Kompany Hospitalized: Bayern Munich Rely on Danks for Freiburg

Vincent Kompany will not lead Bayern Munich from the sideline on Sunday. The 40-year-old head coach remains in a hospital in a stable condition after collapsing on the training pitch on Friday. He will be replaced by English assistant coach Aaron Danks for the Bundesliga match at Freiburg.

Director of Sport Max Eberl confirmed the coaching arrangement at a Saturday news conference. Eberl stated that medical examinations are currently underway to determine the specific nature of the virus affecting Kompany. The club has not set a recovery timeline. Eberl noted that the absence will be measured in weeks rather than days. He explained that the staff needs to identify the illness before discussing return dates.

Danks conducted the media briefing in place of Kompany. He reported speaking briefly with the former Belgium captain on Friday. Danks said he avoided discussing tactics during the call to focus on Kompany's health. He stated that all football operations are now in the hands of the coaching staff. The team will work together to maintain the club's direction.

Bayern Munich holds a one-point lead over Freiburg in the Bundesliga table entering Sunday's fixture. The club postponed a second-team match on Friday following the collapse. Eberl said the management did not request a delay for the league game. He argued that a strong performance and a positive result would best aid Kompany's recovery. Danks also announced that Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will miss the match. Kimmich has been on bereavement leave since Tuesday.

Kompany returned to the dugout for a home match against Arsenal on Wednesday. He skipped the pre-match press event due to the virus. After the game, Kompany admitted he ignored early warning signs. He described the virus as nasty and stated that his body eventually forced him to stop. Bayern's next Champions League match is scheduled for November 3 against Atletico in Madrid.