Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer praised Jamal Musiala's determination upon his return from a serious leg injury and described him as one of the club's "winter transfers", the DPA agency reports.
Musiala partially returned to the German team's training on Tuesday after a fractured leg and a sprained ankle, which he suffered in July at the Club World Cup.
At a press conference in connection with the acquisition of the “Sportpark Unterhaching“ stadium for the women's team, Hainer said he was also happy for Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito, who were back playing after also being out for months due to torn cruciate ligaments in the knee and a fractured metatarsal bone, respectively.
Hainer commented that the trio are like “winter transfers“ for Bayern because “these are all our players who are filling out our squad“.
Looking at Musiala, who should be playing again after the winter break, he said: “It takes a lot of effort to stay motivated for that long. We are very happy that Jamal is back in training with the team. All three players, especially Jamal, bring new and additional qualities. It is now up to the coach who will choose the squad.“
Herbert Hainer also said that Bayern and its fans can expect exciting matches with the trio in the second half of the season, and also expects goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to quickly overcome the muscle injury he is recovering from.
Bayern Munich have a 9-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga standings, have reached the quarter-finals of the German Cup and are in a good position to qualify directly for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Hainer also spoke highly of 17-year-old Lennart Karl, who made the most of Musiala's injury to break through in the season in which he was named as a contender for a place in the German World Cup squad. He finds it "quite astonishing" that questions are now being raised about whether Karl will have to make way for Musiala.
“I remember well when we regularly discussed the limited squad at the end of the summer. Back then I said that even a limited squad offers great opportunities for talented players. And now we have seen this,“ said the Bayern president.
Herbert Hainer added that Karl had played in an “exceptional way“ and that stronger competition in the team could lead to more.
“Competition usually helps to improve overall performance and I am sure the coach will find the right formula,“ he concluded.