“I hope that he will be there, because it would be very good for the game,” Mikel Arteta said of Vincent Kompany ahead of Bayern München vs Arsenal. The Bayern head coach missed training and the press conference because of a viral infection, with Aaron Danks handling the pre-match media duties in his place. Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena already has the feel of a major Champions League occasion.

Arteta's view of Kompany

Arteta was not hiding his admiration for Kompany. Speaking to SPORT1, he called him “a great admirer of him, on the one hand as a person, because I was able to get to know him over some years and work with him. And then as a coach,” before adding that Bayern under him are “at another level”.

That respect runs through the whole mood of the tie. Arteta also said, “That is the stage you want to be on. We prepared for the game with a lot of enthusiasm, and I am very excited about it.”

Bayern’s domestic numbers explain why Arsenal are walking into a serious test. Bayern München lead the Bundesliga, have scored 22 goals in six league matches and have conceded only 5. They are also unbeaten in the Champions League after two matches.

The selection questions for Bayern

The biggest immediate problem is Michael Olise, who is suspended after his second yellow card in last week's draw to Viking. Aaron Danks said “Lenny [Karl] is one of many who could come into the team in these moments,” while also stressing that Bayern have “a fantastic squad” and “great attacking players”.

Olise’s absence is not minor. He has 5 goals and 2 assists in the Bundesliga, and his league rating of 7.96 shows how much Bayern lose when he is out. Lennart Karl, who is 18 years old, is among the options under discussion.

There is also uncertainty around Manuel Neuer. Danks said Bayern have not made a final decision, though Neuer has been back on the grass for two days. David Raya added the other side of the goalkeeping story by calling Neuer “a legend of the game” and “a role model for young goalkeepers.” Raya himself has 2 clean sheets in 2 Champions League appearances this season.

Bayern still have time to settle their final choices, but the baseline is clear: Kompany’s illness, Olise’s suspension and the unanswered Neuer decision have all arrived before a Champions League tie that both teams are treating seriously.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →