Ismael Saibari has been left out of Bayern Munich’s travelling squad for their pre-season tour of Asia, meaning the Morocco midfielder will have to wait longer for his first appearance since completing a €55m move from PSV Eindhoven this summer.
Saibari is continuing to train separately from the main Bayern group at the club’s training centre. The midfielder, who can also play as a forward, is following an individual programme while the rest of Vincent Kompany’s squad prepares in Asia.
According to the German branch of Sky Sports, Saibari is not the only Bayern player remaining in Germany. Serge Gnabry, Lennart Karl and Jamal Musiala are also working on their fitness at the training centre.
The decision to leave Saibari behind means the player’s Bayern debut will be postponed. He was expected to be involved in the club’s preparations following his move from PSV Eindhoven, but his current individual training schedule has ruled him out of the Asian trip.
Bayern will play their first friendly of the tour against Jeju SK on Tuesday afternoon. A second match is scheduled for three days later in Hong Kong, where Kompany’s side will face Aston Villa.
Saibari could instead make his first appearance for Bayern in a friendly against RB Leipzig on 15 August. That match represents the earliest possibility mentioned for the Morocco international to begin his Bayern career.
The midfielder joined from PSV Eindhoven for €55m this summer. His ability to operate in midfield or further forward was part of his profile at the Dutch club, but he remains apart from Bayern’s main group for now.
While Kompany and the majority of his squad continue their preparations in Asia, Saibari’s immediate focus is on completing his individual programme in Germany. His progress will determine whether he is available for the meeting with RB Leipzig, after missing the club’s opening pre-season fixtures.
