At FC Bayern, the playing situation of young prospect Bara Ndiaye is increasingly sparking debate. The young midfielder was actually supposed to gain his first experience with the first team this season. So far, however, he has barely played a role under Vincent Kompany. A look at the playing time statistics shows that Ndiaye has been on the field for just three minutes this season. This is causing growing confusion among fans of the record champions.

The situation is particularly noteworthy given the personnel situation in central midfield. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic are among Munich’s most reliable players and regularly have to play every three days.

While Kimmich has already logged 825 minutes across all competitions, Pavlovic has played 647 minutes. Ndiaye, on the other hand, is still waiting for a real chance to prove himself.

“It seems they don’t have any confidence in him.”

On social media, the team’s handling of the young player is now being critically questioned. “I don’t understand the plan with Bara. It seems they don’t have any confidence in him—so why didn’t they sign another midfielder as the No. 4?” writes a Bayern fan on X.

The lack of alternatives in central midfield, in particular, is sparking debate. “When Pavlo came off against Stavanger, you didn’t have a single midfielder left to sub in. Is that really a good thing?” the same fan criticizes.

Another user believes Munich isn’t sufficiently prepared for the upcoming challenges. “Kimmich can’t play 825 minutes straight; the only true defensive midfielders are him and Pavlovic. That’s too thin a roster for a season with the Champions League. What do you do if Pavlovic is out with an injury for a long time?!”

The criticism is thus directed not only at Kompany, but also at the squad planning by the club’s management.

Fans are calling for more playing time for Ndiaye

Adding to the confusion is the fact that Bayern brought Ndiaye to Munich this summer. “They went out of their way to bring him from Gambia and then don’t even put him on the roster,” another fan commented on the situation.

Yet the youngster doesn’t necessarily have to be used exclusively in central midfield. One fan therefore suggests another possibility: “He could also get some playing time as a right back. We’re a bit thin there, and he didn’t look too bad in preseason.”

In fact, Bayern had bet on Ndiaye’s potential for development from the very beginning. The young player was supposed to be gently introduced to the level of the professional team.

Kompany has already proven on multiple occasions in Munich that he generally supports young players. However, Ndiaye does not currently seem to enjoy the necessary trust for regular playing time.

Given the tight schedule and the heavy workload on Kimmich and Pavlovic, that could change in the coming weeks, though.

For Bayern, the question is increasingly arising as to whether Ndiaye is actually a serious option for the first team or whether the club’s leadership has misjudged the personnel situation in midfield.

In any case, his three minutes of playing time so far have provided plenty of fodder for discussion among FCB fans.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/10/20/kompany-ploetzlich-in-der-kritik-was-ist-mit-diesem-bayern-star-los/.