An injury is one of the very worst things to happen to a talented young footballer. For a profession that demands physical perfection, such injuries can not only rob a player of years of development and lower their professional ceiling, but in absolute worst-case scenarios, they can put a player’s long-term career at risk.

That worry is starting to creep in for Chivano Wijks, Bayern’s 18-year-old academy right-back. The Dutchman had enjoyed a stellar firstyear in Munich following his arrival in 2024, but his chain of injuries started in mid-November 2025 when he injured his left thigh. He was supposed to return in January 2026, but suffered a serious setback that kept him out until October 2026. He finally made his return in a U-19 friendly during the September international break and followed it up with a start the following week in the return to the U-19 league campaign in a 6-1 win over SSV Jahn Regensburg.

That is when it happened again. It all seemed like a precaution for load management purposes when he was subbed off at half-time, but days later, Bayern confirmed the awful news via their official website:

Unfortunately, it is not just another injury; it is another thigh injuryto add to the ones that kept him out for about a year. Whether it was the left thigh or the right was not confirmed, but regardless, this is a long-term issue Wijks will need to overcome.

This does not mean Wijks is fated to lose his career to these injuries. Javier Fernández, for example, is currently proving at 1. FC Nürnberg how well he can bounce back after roughly an 18-month injury absence. Hopefully, his next return will go much better.