Musiala Injured in Club World Cup Clash

ATLANTA: During Saturday’s FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala sustained what is feared to be a broken ankle. The incident occurred during the match against Paris Saint-Germain.

The German international was hurt in stoppage time of the first half following a collision within PSG’s penalty area.

Musiala initially challenged defender William Pacho for possession. However, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inadvertently caused the injury, awkwardly twisting Musiala’s left ankle while attempting to make a play on the ball. The injury appeared to be serious.

Medical personnel immediately rushed to assist, while a visibly upset Donnarumma fell to the ground, holding his head. Players from both teams gathered around the 21-year-old midfielder, who was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher.

Bayern manager Vincent Kompany provided a concerning update post-match, stating Musiala was transported to a local hospital.

Post-Match Comments

Kompany stated, “He has had to go to the hospital. It didn’t look good. The overwhelming feeling is hopefully, it’s not as bad as it looks and he gets through this one.”

German football analyst Raphael Honigstein observed the injury’s effect on Bayern Munich’s game.

Honigstein commented, “The Bayern Munich players were visibly rattled. You could see it took them some time, coming out after halftime, to readjust and find their focus again.”

“He’s such an important player for Bayern. It’s a huge blow for him personally and for the club. He’ll likely be out for a few months at least.”

Referee Anthony Taylor concluded the first half prematurely following the incident. The score remained 0–0 at the time.