Michael Olise misses the Champions League clash through suspension, and Arsenal have won 10 of their last 11 games in all competitions.
Bayern Munich host Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday without Michael Olise, the former Crystal Palace winger who is suspended. The London-born Olise, who started in Arsenal's junior system, picked up two yellow cards inside a minute in Bayern's 3-3 draw at Viking last week.
Across 10 matches in every competition this campaign, Olise has registered nine goals and five assists. He and England captain Harry Kane have carried Bayern's attack, and Kane has nine goals and six assists in the same number of games. At Viking, with Bayern 2-0 down, Kane almost single-handedly engineered a comeback, scoring twice and setting up another.
Speaking after the 6-1 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig on Saturday, Kane was blunt about the cost of losing Olise and about who has to fill the gap:
"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"
Luis Díaz, the Colombian winger who moved from Liverpool in 2025, had cut a frustrated figure after a poor start to the season. Against Leipzig he scored a hat-trick and set up Aleksandar Pavlovic's goal.
Midfielder Joshua Kimmich said Díaz "delivered incredible numbers for us last season". Díaz had 22 goals and 17 assists across the Bundesliga and Champions League last season. Kimmich also said he is the most likely of Bayern's attackers to make runs behind the defence.
Arsenal arrive having won 10 of 11 games in all competitions under Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Their latest was a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. In the Champions League they have beaten Napoli 1-0 away and Lille 3-0 at home.
Bayern have not forgotten last season. Arsenal beat them 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the league phase, the first defeat of Bayern's season. Sporting director Max Eberl said, "We have memories of that game," and wanted those memories turned into energy for Wednesday.
Kane has scored 15 times against Arsenal in his career, but he has had no time to chat with his Gunners rivals. "I think we're all too busy right now to text each other, with a game every three days," he explained. He called Arsenal "one of the best teams in Europe" and said Bayern relish the test.
Manuel Neuer missed the Leipzig game with a foot issue, and Jonas Urbig is expected in goal. In the Champions League league phase, Bayern sit 10th and Arsenal seventh.
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