Munich will host a heavyweight Champions League meeting with Arsenal without Joshua Kimmich, after Bayern Munich confirmed that the midfielder has been left out of the squad following the death of a close family member.
The match, scheduled for 21:00 in the third round of the league phase, brings together two clubs with clear European ambitions. Bayern, however, will enter the evening missing one of their principal voices in midfield.
Quick facts
- Joshua Kimmich will not be available for Bayern Munich against Arsenal.
- The absence follows the death of a close family member.
- Bayern have asked for the family’s privacy and grief to be respected.
- Kimmich has registered three assists in six Bundesliga appearances this season.
- He has also provided one assist in two Champions League outings.
Bayern said they stand alongside Kimmich at a painful moment and requested that no further enquiries be made into the family circumstances.
For Vincent Kompany, the immediate football consequence is the loss of a player whose control, experience and passing range have shaped Bayern’s opening weeks. Kimmich has contributed three Bundesliga assists across six matches, while adding another in Europe.
His absence leaves Kompany to alter his midfield plans against an Arsenal side that reached last season’s Champions League final. The Bavarians will need to find a replacement not only for Kimmich’s production, but also for his authority in a tie between two leading contenders for the competition.
