Two collapses in four days. That was the alarming sequence that put Jamal Musiala's health at the centre of Bayern Munich's pre-season, and now head coach Vincent Kompany has provided the clearest explanation yet: a slight change to the 23-year-old's medication caused side effects that led to the incidents against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's German Supercup clash with Borussia Dortmund, Kompany was candid once he had cleared it with Musiala personally. "I spoke with Jamal, he said, 'no problem, you can say it'," the Belgian told reporters. "He made a slight change to his treatment, which caused some side effects. It's perfectly normal to make changes to a treatment plan."

What condition does Musiala have?

Earlier this week Musiala posted a statement on Instagram disclosing that he is being treated for a neurological dysfunction that causes what he described as temporary, brief and easily treatable seizures. Medical professionals would recognise these as absence seizures — a type of generalised seizure that commonly affects children and young adults.

Dr Meneka Sidhu, a consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, explained to the BBC that typical absence seizures usually last only a matter of seconds, with the person appearing to zone out or lose balance momentarily. Atypical episodes can be longer and may involve automatic movements. Crucially, she added: "When effectively treated, there is no reason absence seizures should stop anyone playing sport."

Bayern say the condition was identified before the World Cup and that the club — and Musiala's teammates — were fully aware of it throughout last season without it affecting him on the pitch. The collapses in pre-season friendlies therefore appear directly linked to the medication adjustment rather than any deterioration in the underlying condition.

How is Bayern handling it?

Kompany was measured in tone, stressing that the initial shock had passed a long time ago. "We've received much more information since then and made decisions with the help of leading experts. Jamal has everyone's support," he said.

Sporting director Max Eberl echoed that. "We've known about it the entire last season. The players also knew about it. For us, it's become part of everyday life," Eberl said, adding that the club supported Musiala's decision to go public with his condition.

Musiala was ruled out of the Supercup alongside Lennard Maloney and Serge Gnabry. Kompany confirmed the midfielder will train individually for the remainder of the week before Bayern open their Bundesliga title defence against Stuttgart. The manager's stated aim is simple: "get things back to how they were before."

Wider context: elite sport and absence seizures

Musiala is not the first elite athlete to manage this type of condition. England and Northampton rugby winger Tommy Freeman began having absence seizures at 14 and, following a later diagnosis of epilepsy, continues to play at the highest level by managing the condition with medication. The parallel is a relevant one — it reinforces Dr Sidhu's point that effective treatment leaves no medical barrier to competing professionally.

Triggers worth monitoring in a football context, according to Dr Sidhu, include hyperventilation and dehydration — both entirely plausible during pre-season training in warm conditions. Bayern and their medical staff will be factoring that into Musiala's return-to-training programme.

With 69 goals and 37 assists for Bayern to his name, Musiala remains central to the club's plans. The speed with which Kompany has moved to contextualise the collapses — framing them as a manageable side effect of a routine medication tweak rather than a long-term concern — suggests Bayern are confident the situation will stabilise quickly once his treatment plan is recalibrated.

Frequently asked

What caused Jamal Musiala to collapse during pre-season?
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany confirmed that a slight change to Musiala's medication caused side effects, leading to two on-pitch collapses in four days during friendlies against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim.
What neurological condition does Musiala have?
Musiala disclosed he is being treated for a neurological dysfunction that causes absence seizures — brief episodes where a person may lose awareness or balance for a matter of seconds. The condition is treatable with medication.
Will Musiala be fit to play for Bayern this season?
Bayern expect Musiala to return once his treatment plan is recalibrated. He was ruled out of the German Supercup but Kompany said he wants to get things back to normal before the Bundesliga season opener against Stuttgart.