The corona virus, which is also so dangerous for high-performance athletes, is forcing Bayern star Joshua Kimmich to take an even longer break from football.

Actually, the safe 3-0 (2-0) of the preliminary round champions in Europe's premier class against FC Barcelona, ​​which has shrunk to a Munich sparring partner, should be the last game that Germany's most famous vaccination defender missed.

But on Thursday this news startled Bayern fans and the general public in the middle of the roaring fourth corona wave: Kimmich announced in a club announcement that he was no longer for the this year "due to slight infiltration in the lungs" League leaders could play in the Bundesliga.

In the spectatorless arena, sports director Hasan Salihamidzic had announced the good news of the end of Kimmich's quarantine the evening before.

Salihamidzic referred to medical examinations, but after a month's break from competition for 26-year-old Kimmich, he was quite optimistic.

"I know our Jo, he will of course give everything to come back quickly." That doesn't work at first - despite the free testing.

Infiltrations of the lungs are accumulations of fluids and cellular components in the vital organ.

Kimmich tried to reassure his fans: “I am pleased that my corona-related quarantine has ended.

I'm doing very well. ”But he could“ not train fully at the moment. ”

The body slows it down after the corona infection - and probably also the doctors.

He will complete advanced training and can "hardly wait to be fully back in January," said Kimmich.

The earliest possible date for his comeback is now the start of the second half of the season against Borussia Mönchengladbach on January 7th.

In the year-end spurt, Kimmich missed the games this Saturday against Mainz (3.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) as well as in Stuttgart and against Wolfsburg.

It's the six to eight competitive games since his last appearance in a 2-1 win against SC Freiburg on November 6th.

After that, Kimmich first had to be in quarantine as an unvaccinated contact person for teammate Niklas Süle.

He then infected himself with the virus (positive test on November 24th) - and that prevents him from doing his beloved work for weeks.

Corona does not let go of Bavaria.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting - presumably also unvaccinated - cannot train again after an infection.