Kimmich Out Of Bayern-Arsenal Champions League Clash After Family Death

Joshua Kimmich will not feature in Bayern Munich's Champions League fixture against Arsenal on Wednesday after the death of a family member, the German club confirmed. The midfielder and Germany international has been withdrawn from the squad for the league-phase encounter at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Bayern released a statement requesting that the public and media respect Kimmich's privacy during this period of grief and refrain from further questioning. While most reports indicate only that a death occurred in Kimmich's immediate family, one source specified that his father, Berthold Kimmich, passed away at age 57.

However, not all outlets corroborated this detail. Bayern's official statement did not name the deceased or provide additional circumstances surrounding the bereavement.

The absence of the 29-year-old represents a significant loss for Bayern in midfield as the team prepares to face Arsenal, a side that has performed strongly in the early stages of the Champions League. Bayern come into the match having drawn 3-3 with Vikings in their previous outing and currently sit on four points from two games.

Arsenal, by contrast, has taken maximum points from their opening fixtures. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany may also be unavailable for the match due to a viral infection affecting his legs, adding to the club's personnel challenges for the fixture.

Bayern requested understanding for both Kimmich and the coaching staff during this time.