Why is Luis Diaz not playing today for Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid in 2026-27 UEFA Champions League Matchday 4?

Bayern Munich arrive in Madrid for one of the biggest games of Matchday 4 of the 2026-27 Champions League, but not at full strength. One of the names missing from the squad is a player who had been among the team’s most influential attackers in recent weeks, and his absence adds another challenge for coach Vincent Kompany.

Luis Diaz will not play against Atletico Madrid because he is recovering from a muscle injury in his left hamstring. The Colombian winger suffered the injury in Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Matchday 3 of the Champions League on Oct. 21.

He came on in the 68th minute but had to leave the field in stoppage time after feeling discomfort, and the club confirmed Diaz had suffered a minor tear in his left hamstring after medical examinations.

Bayern have not announced an official return date, but Sky Sport Germany reported that Diaz could be sidelined for four to six weeks. There was some encouraging news, when the 29-year-old completed his first individual training session with the ball since the injury. However, he was still working separately from the rest of the group, and a return to full team training is a necessary step before he can be considered for selection.

Bayern Munich travel to Madrid with a short squad

Bayern Munich are in a delicate situation regarding their squad, as they have called up only 19 players for the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.

The particular detail is that three of them are goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich and Jonas Urbig. With one goalkeeper starting, Bayern’s bench will have only six outfield players available to enter the match if necessary, along with two backup goalkeepers.

The list is short because of the number of absences. Beyond Diaz, Jamal Musiala, Ismael Saibari and Serge Gnabry are also injured and did not make the trip. With so many players unavailable, the Belgian coach has little room to rotate, and the list includes several younger options such as Lennart Karl, Tim Binder, Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic.