Bayern injury crisis: Saibari out for months, Gnabry sidelined before Atlético

The 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund has left Bayern Munich counting the cost. The club confirmed on Sunday that Ismael Saibari tore the syndesmotic ligament in his right ankle during Der Klassiker and has already undergone successful surgery. Serge Gnabry, who went off barely two minutes after Saibari, has a muscle injury in his left hamstring. With Michael Olise also nursing a sore knee, the Bundesliga leaders head to Atlético de Madrid on Tuesday with their attack badly thinned out.

What the club has confirmed

Saibari twisted his right ankle in a first-half challenge with Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Bayern did not give a timeframe, but Bild and SPORT1 both report that the Moroccan midfielder faces around three months out, which would rule him out until after the winter break, probably into February. Kobel sent a message of support on social media, and Saibari thanked him.

Gnabry signalled he could not continue after about half an hour and was replaced by Josip Stanišić. Again the club named no return date; according to Bild the 31-year-old will miss four to six weeks. For a player with a long history of hamstring problems, that could mean no more football in 2026.

Olise was taken off late in the game with pain in his right knee. Sporting director Max Eberl sounded cautiously optimistic, saying the club believes "it's not that bad". Bayern have not reported a structural injury, but his place in the squad for Madrid is still open.

Who is missing

Player	Problem	Status (source)
Ismael Saibari	Torn ankle syndesmosis, operated	about 3 months (Bild, SPORT1)
Serge Gnabry	Left hamstring muscle injury	4–6 weeks (Bild)
Luis Díaz	Muscle tear, left thigh	until about the end of November (Blick)
Jamal Musiala	Muscle fibre tear, right thigh	out since late September, return being assessed
Michael Olise	Right knee pain	doubtful for Atlético
Manuel Neuer	Tendon irritation	reportedly not fit for Atlético (Bild)

Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, who took a knee to the head against Dortmund, is being monitored but joked afterwards that everything was fine. The situation is complicated further on the touchline: assistant Aaron Danks is still leading the team while head coach Vincent Kompany recovers from illness.

The fixtures ahead

Bayern still lead the Bundesliga on goal difference after eight matchdays, level on points with Dortmund:

Pos	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Bayern Munich	8	+19	18
2	Borussia Dortmund	8	+8	18
3	SC Freiburg	8	+8	16
4	RB Leipzig	8	+11	15
5	Werder Bremen	8	+3	15

Before the international break come two away games (CET):

• Tuesday, 3 November, 21:00: Atlético de Madrid – Bayern Munich, Champions League matchday 4
• Saturday, 7 November, 15:30: Mainz 05 – Bayern Munich, Bundesliga matchday 9

In their last European game Bayern drew 2-2 at home with Arsenal, so a result at the Metropolitano would matter in the race for the top eight.

Our take

The numbers from Saturday show how much attacking quality Bayern still have: they created chances worth almost five expected goals against Dortmund. The problem is depth. If Olise is not fit, Harry Kane and 18-year-old Lennart Karl are the only established forwards left, and Danks may have to push Alphonso Davies up to the left wing or use Tom Bischof or Nathaniel Brown in more attacking roles. Away at Atlético, one of the hardest grounds in Europe, that thin bench is a real risk. The good news is the calendar: after Mainz comes a two-week break in which Díaz and possibly Musiala can close the gap. Until then, Bayern will need Kane to carry even more of the load than usual.

Follow Atlético – Bayern live on EZCO, with line-ups, live ticker and the full Bundesliga table.