Bayern Munich will be without one of their most important attacking players when they host Arsenal in a major UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday.
Naija News reports that French international Michael Olise is suspended after receiving two yellow cards within a minute during Bayern’s 3-3 draw with Viking last week.
The in-form winger was first booked for a foul before being sent off for throwing the ball at Viking captain Zlatko Tripic following a verbal exchange. The red card was the first of Olise’s career.
His absence is a major setback for Bayern, with the former Crystal Palace winger enjoying an impressive run of form this season.
Olise, who was born in London and began his football development in Arsenal’s youth system, has scored nine goals and provided five assists in 10 appearances across all competitions.
His performances have also strengthened his standing among the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or after an outstanding campaign last season.
With Jamal Musiala struggling with injury and illness, while Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl have yet to hit top form, Olise and Harry Kane have carried much of Bayern’s attacking responsibility.
Kane has also recorded nine goals and six assists in 10 games this season.
The England captain showed his importance last week when Bayern came from two goals down against Viking, with the striker scoring twice and providing an assist to help his team secure a 3-3 draw.
Speaking after Bayern’s 6-1 demolition of RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday, Kane admitted that losing Olise would affect the team but challenged other players to take responsibility.
“Missing one of your biggest players, you’re going to feel it for sure, but that’s where other people have to step up and show they can take their opportunity,” Kane said.
“We talk about the squad a lot, we talk about being ready for your moment and whoever plays will have to be ready.”
Bayern will also hope Luis Diaz can maintain the form he showed against Leipzig, where the Colombian scored a hat-trick and provided another goal in one of his best performances since joining the German club from Liverpool in 2025.
The 29-year-old had struggled to make the desired impact at the start of the season but delivered an impressive display against Leipzig, giving Bayern another attacking option ahead of the Arsenal encounter.
Wednesday’s match will also renew Kane’s rivalry with Arsenal, despite the striker leaving north London for Bayern in 2023 after spending several years at Tottenham Hotspur.
Bayern faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the 2023-2024 Champions League campaign, advancing by an aggregate goal. However, the German side suffered a 3-1 defeat to the Gunners during last season’s league phase.
Kane said he had not had much time to exchange messages with Arsenal players ahead of the meeting because of the busy football schedule.
“I spoke to them a bit in the international break previously and we knew the game was coming up, but I think we’re all too busy right now to text each other, with a game every three days,” he explained.
Bayern head into the encounter after their convincing win over Leipzig, which further underlined their strength in the Bundesliga. However, Arsenal are expected to provide a tougher challenge, having won 10 of their 11 matches in all competitions this season.
The Gunners are also eager to make another strong push in Europe after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties last season.
Kane said Bayern were looking forward to testing themselves against Mikel Arteta’s side, describing the encounter as an opportunity to measure their quality against one of Europe’s leading teams.
“It’s a big game and we’re playing against one of the best teams in Europe, you have to always enjoy these occasions,” he said.
“We’re testing ourselves against one of the best, we’re here at home, the energy, the fans, it’s going to be a special night.”
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