According to Bild, Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry was frustrated after not playing in the team's 3-3 draw against Norwegian side Viking. After the final whistle, the 28-year-old German international was reportedly the first Bayern Munich player to board the team bus, ahead of his teammates.
In this match, Kompany used all of his substitutions. At halftime, Bayern Munich trailed 0-2, and Kompany immediately replaced Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, and Saibari with Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown, and Lennart Carl, respectively. In the 74th minute, Olise received an avoidable red card, and Kompany made further defensive adjustments: Luis Diaz was introduced in the 77th minute, and Saibari was withdrawn in the 83rd minute. Gnabry never got a chance to play, with Stanisić and Hiroki Ito, who has had limited appearances this season, coming on instead. Ultimately, Viking equalized in stoppage time.
With the team down to ten men, Kompany's late defensive substitutions were understandable. Additionally, the match was played on artificial turf, which may have influenced the decision to keep Gnabry on the bench. Artificial turf carries a certain injury risk, and Gnabry was previously sidelined for five months with an adductor tear in his right thigh. He is currently in the recovery phase after his comeback and requires careful management of his workload.
However, Gnabry's playing time since returning from injury has remained limited. Before the international break, he played only 13 minutes against Union Berlin in a match Bayern had already won. Last weekend, he also featured for just 23 minutes in the away game against Augsburg. Despite this limited action, Gnabry impressed off the bench, creating several dangerous chances and nearly scoring a winner—his goal was ruled out for offside, and another effort hit the post.
Germany coach Jürgen Klopp included Gnabry in his two announced squads, and he remains one of the few Bayern Munich players called up to the national team. In the two previous matches, Gnabry featured in both, starting against Serbia and wearing the captain's armband. He left the squad before the team traveled to Greece for the second leg to manage his training load.
Under Kompany, Gnabry still needs to fight for a starting spot—unsurprising given his recent serious injury. By comparison, at this stage last season, Gnabry was one of Bayern Munich's standout performers, contributing 10 goals and 11 assists in 37 official matches. During Musiala's extended absence, Gnabry became an indispensable starter. He has the opportunity to reclaim that position in the coming weeks.
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