Bayern Munich director of sport Max Eberl has said it will take "weeks" for manager Vincent Kompany to recover from his illness, as the 40-year-old remains stable in hospital after collapsing during a training session on Friday.
Kompany was hospitalised after an air ambulance landed at Bayern's training ground. Tests are ongoing to determine what caused the collapse, following his initial illness with a viral infection.
Eberl's Update on Kompany's Condition
Speaking on Saturday, Eberl said the club will not rush Kompany's return. "Vinnie will be given all the time he needs. We're not starting to put together any timeframes," he said. "We need to firstly figure out what it is and then we'll discuss calmly what the recovery time is to be. We won't be talking about days, but weeks. We need to all be clear on that."
Eberl also addressed suggestions that Kompany should not have been on the touchline for Wednesday's Champions League match against Arsenal, having been ill since last week. "The fact is, we protect our coach wherever we can," he said. "If a coach says he feels ready to do something, then we're not going to say 'we won't allow that' if we don't know what's going on."
Kompany's Condition and Next Steps
Eberl confirmed Kompany is stable and will remain in hospital for further checks. "The good news is he's stable. I spoke with him last night, as well as with his wife. He will have to stay in the hospital for a few more days until everything has been checked and verified," he added. "The cause has been investigated all along. He already had minor issues last week. The doctors are doing nothing but figuring out what it is. The examinations have already yielded some results. But further results are needed to classify what it is and how long it will take for him to recover."
Kompany took charge of Bayern's 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Wednesday before collapsing on Friday. After that match, he said: "As a coach, you always want to do everything and accomplish everything. I caught a pretty nasty virus last week, and of course I didn't listen to my body, and then at some point my body said: 'Stop now.'"
Assistant Takes Charge for Freiburg Match
Assistant coach Aaron Danks will lead Bayern against Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday. Danks has spoken with Kompany in hospital and said: "I explained to him that we would be having no football conversations. It was just checking in on his health and making sure he's OK. All the football operations are in our hands and we'll work together as a team to keep the club moving forward."
