Bayern Munich have confirmed that Luis Diaz will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after suffering a minor muscle tear in his left hamstring during Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw with Arsenal.
The 29-year-old Colombia international came off the bench in the 68th minute at the Allianz Arena but was forced off again in stoppage time, and examinations by Bayern's medical unit on Thursday confirmed the tear. The club gave no return date.
A cameo that lasted barely 20 minutes
Diaz was only a substitute against Arsenal because Bayern were already managing him. He had finished the weekend's 6-1 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig — a game in which he scored a hat-trick — with muscular problems, and head coach Vincent Kompany left him out of the starting line-up as a precaution, a decision BTFW covered in its report of the 2-2 draw on Wednesday night.
"We're going through a period with little time to recover," Kompany said before the game. "Diaz was already struggling towards the end of the game against Leipzig. We were worried that something had happened to him. He has trained again, so he could play a role today if he feels good. We're happy that he's available at all."
That cautious optimism did not survive the night. Diaz went down off the ball late on, and board member for sport Max Eberl admitted afterwards: "He already had muscular problems before the game and felt it slightly again now. We didn't want to take any risks." Kompany added: "I don't think it's serious. But when it happens twice in a short time, then it's something to worry about a bit." Thursday's diagnosis, reported by Reuters, proved more serious than either man had hoped.
Bayern confirm the tear
In a statement on the official Bayern website, the club said: "Luis Diaz picked up a minor muscle fibre tear in his left hamstring during FC Bayern's Champions League game against Arsenal on Wednesday night. The injury was confirmed by examinations carried out by the FC Bayern medical unit. As a result, the 29-year-old attacking midfielder will be sidelined for the foreseeable future."
It is a cruel interruption to a flying start in Munich. Diaz, who joined from Liverpool in the summer of 2025, has scored five goals and provided one assist in 10 appearances in all competitions this season, and his hat-trick against Leipzig last weekend underlined how central he has become to Kompany's attack.
So what: Bayern's depth is about to be tested
The timing could hardly be worse. Bayern were already stretched against Arsenal: Joshua Kimmich missed the game following the death of his father, while Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise were also unavailable. Alphonso Davies, normally a left-back, filled in on the wing against Arsenal and may now see far more time in attack.
Next up is no soft landing either. Bundesliga leaders Bayern visit third-placed Freiburg on Sunday, with Freiburg just a point behind the champions after six games. Lose Diaz's pace and direct running for a run of fixtures like this, and Bayern's squad depth — not their first eleven — becomes the story of the next few weeks.
Beyond the Final Whistle: this is the risk Bayern took, and they knew it. Kompany said before kick-off that Diaz was already struggling, Eberl admitted the problem had been there before the game, and still the winger was sent on to chase a Champions League match — and lasted barely 20 minutes. A minor tear is not a season-ender, but "foreseeable future" with no return date, for a player whose game is built on explosive pace, is a genuine worry. How many games will Diaz miss — and can Bayern keep winning without him? Have your say in the comments.
