SOCCER: 'Musiala magic' will be on full display very soon, Bayern's Kompany says

MUNICH, Germany — Bayern Munich playmaker Jamal Musiala, who missed a significant portion of the season due to a broken leg, is showing signs of returning to top form. While Musiala has already made an impact since his January return, coach Vincent Kompany is confident that the 23-year-old Germany international is on the brink of taking his game to a whole new level.

Musiala sustained a fibula fracture and a broken, dislocated ankle during a collision with Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Club World Cup in July. The injury kept him sidelined for much of the season. However, since making his comeback at the start of the year, Musiala has steadily gained more playing time as he aims to secure a spot in Germany's World Cup squad, set to begin in June.

In his absence, fellow Bayern midfielder Serge Gnabry carried much of the creative load. However, Gnabry is now sidelined for several weeks due to an adductor muscle injury, putting more pressure on Musiala to step up.

Bayern are set to face Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup semi-final on Wednesday, and Kompany is counting on Musiala to play a key role.

"Jamal is in a good phase at the moment," Kompany said in a press conference on Tuesday. "I mentioned back in January that he’s developed physically. He’s now very close to his best, not just in terms of strength but also his willingness to run."

Kompany added that Musiala’s return to form will be a gradual process, but he is certain the attacking midfielder will return to his “Magic Musiala” level. "The moments are there. What he's doing at the moment is very dangerous in front of goal," Kompany said.

In 600 minutes of play, Musiala has accumulated nine ‘scorer points’ — a combination of goals and assists — in all competitions, showcasing his readiness to contribute at the highest level.

Bayern, currently in pursuit of the treble, secured the Bundesliga title on Sunday with a 4-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart, leaving them with just four matches to play. The Bavarians also have a crucial Champions League semi-final against PSG in Paris next week.

"When he has total freedom again, and it will come back, we’ll see an even more developed version of Musiala, and as a coach, that excites me," Kompany concluded. "But with nine scorer points in 600 minutes, he has already shown he’s ready."

-Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters