As if Bayern Munich didn’t already have enough to worry about with Joshua Kimmich absent and Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise unavailable against Arsenal, Vincent Kompany has made a bold decision with his starting XI. Luis Diaz has been left out of the starting lineup for Matchday 3 of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League.
Though fit enough to be available to Kompany and Bayern as a substitute, Diaz isn’t fully fit, and that’s the reason why the Bavarian side opted to leave him off the starting lineup against Arsenal. Addressing the decision, Kompany made his reasoning clear.
“We’re going through a period with little time to recover. Sometimes, that means one game can have an impact on the next. 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,” Kompany said before kickoff, via DAZN.
Diaz’ numbers in 2026-27 season
So far in the season, Diaz has been a staple of Bayern’s attack, just like he’s been from the moment he touched down in Munich. Diaz has appeared in 10 games across all competitions this season, registering 781 minutes (per Transfermarkt), scoring five goals and assisting another.
Luis Diaz of FC Bayern Munich during a game.
In the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League, the Colombian winger has scored a goal in two games, netting one during the unexpected 3-3 draw against Viking in Matchday 2.
Bayern’s starting XI vs Arsenal
Although Kompany has left the door open for Diaz to come on as a substitute against the Gunners, the Bavarians have made adjustments to their usual lineup. Manuel Neuer is back in goal after missing Bayern’s game against Viking last week.
Manuel Neuer (GK); Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Min-jae Kim, Josip Stanisic; Tom Bischof, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Serge Gnabry, Ismael Salibari, Jonathan Davies; Harry Kane.
With Diaz raising concerns on whether he can play the full 90 minutes, Kompany landed on Davies, who usually plays as a left back, to replace the Colombian striker in attack.
Key takeaways
- Luis Diaz was left out of Bayern Munich’s starting lineup against Arsenal due to fitness issues.
- Luis Diaz has scored five goals in 10 games for Bayern Munich this season.
- Jonathan Davies replaced Luis Diaz in attack for Bayern Munich against Arsenal.
