Champions League

Why is Serge Gnabry not playing for Bayern Munich against PSG in the UEFA Champions League semifinal?

Gnabry will not have the chance to face former club Arsenal in the UCL final, if Bayern get there.

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Scottish sports journalist and content creator. After running his own soccer-related projects, in 2022 he joined Diario AS, where he mainly reports on the biggest news from around Europe’s leading soccer clubs, Liga MX and MLS, and covers live games in a not-too-serious tone. Likes to mix things up by dipping into the world of American sports.

Update: May 6th, 2026 13:47 EDT

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Bayern Munich came back from the dead in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal against PSG, scoring two quickfire goals in the final 25 minutes to cut a three-goal deficit to just one. For many, home advantage makes them slight favorites to progress in the second leg at Allianz Arena, although their attacking arsenal is blunted somewhat by the absence of Serge Gnabry, who has been a consistent goal threat over the years.

Gnabry blow for Bayern and Germany

Although not an undisputed starter these days, Gnabry has still played from the off in 26 games this season, scoring 10 goals and adding 11 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions. He will not be adding to that tally any time soon.

In Bayern’s final training session before their Bundesliga match against Stuttgart on April 19, Gnabry suffered a torn adductor muscle in his right thigh. The injury rules the forward out for the remainder of the season and means he is also expected to miss the 2026 World Cup this summer.

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The 30-year-old attacker, who featured at Euro 2021 and the 2022 World Cup, would almost certainly have been part of Julian Nagelsmann’s squad and likely in contention for a starting role.

From Arsenal setback to Bayern success

Gnabry was once deemed not good enough by Arsenal, where he made 18 appearances between 2012 and 2014. However, a strong spell with Werder Bremen convinced Bayern to take a chance on him, a decision that has more than paid off.

Since breaking into Bayern’s first-team setup in 2018, Gnabry has scored 103 goals in 320 appearances in all competitions and played an important role in 16 trophy wins.

Bayern vs PSG team news

Gnabry is the only player unavailable to Vincent Kompany for Wednesday’s clash against PSG. With Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz and Jamal Musiala all fit and on form, Gnabry’s absence shouldn’t hit Bayern too hard.

The French side, meanwhile, will be without key right back Achraf Hakimi and backup goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.

Bayern Munich vs PSG: TV channel, kickoff time, how to watch

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain meet at Allianz Arena in Munich on Wednesday May 6, with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT.

Live coverage in the United States will be available on CBS, Paramount+, TUDN, Univision, DAZN, and ViX Premium.