Bayern Munich could have Lennart Karl back around the first-team group sooner than expected. But there is an important caveat: nothing has been confirmed by the club in the information available so far.

Bavarian Football Works reported on 24 August, citing Kicker via iMiaSanMia, that Karl was due to resume full training in the following week. The report added that he could make the Bayern squad for a short appearance against VfB Stuttgart in Friday’s Bundesliga opener.

What the report says about Karl

The key word is *could*. Bavarian Football Works does not report a confirmed return date or a guaranteed place in the matchday squad.

Instead, the update points to the next step in Karl’s recovery: a planned return to full training. That would put him closer to selection, but full training and being ready to play are not automatically the same thing.

According to the report, a brief appearance against Stuttgart is possible. It does not say that Karl will start, how many minutes he could play, or whether he will definitely be selected.

Gnabry is reportedly sprinting again

There is also a positive update on Serge Gnabry, although his timetable appears different. Bavarian Football Works reported that Gnabry was sprinting again.

That is a clear recovery step, but the same report says he was not expected to be ready for the Stuttgart fixture. So, while both Bayern players are reportedly moving forward, Karl was presented as the player with the more immediate chance of returning to the squad.

No exact return date for Gnabry was included in the report. Bayern supporters will therefore need to wait for a further fitness update before treating a comeback as settled.

Why this matters for Bayern

The update comes ahead of Bayern’s Bundesliga opener against VfB Stuttgart on Friday. The start of a league campaign always puts extra focus on availability, especially when players are close to returning from injury.

Karl’s reported return to full training would be the notable development here. If it happens as reported, Bayern would then have a clearer basis to assess whether he is ready for a short role in the opener.

For Gnabry, sprinting again suggests progress, but it does not yet put him in line for Friday’s squad according to Bavarian Football Works. The report keeps the two situations separate, and that matters.

Both players had been ruled out of the World Cup

Bavarian Football Works said Karl and Gnabry had both previously been ruled out of the World Cup through injury. That context underlines why the latest training reports are being watched closely.

Still, the current update should not be overstated. It is a report about recovery progress, not a club announcement that either player is fully fit. There is no confirmation in the brief of medical clearance, final squad selection or planned minutes.

What remains unconfirmed

Several points are still open. Bayern Munich have not confirmed Karl’s return to full training in the supplied information. They have also not confirmed that he will be in the squad against Stuttgart.

Gnabry’s readiness beyond the Stuttgart match is equally unclear. The report says he is sprinting again, but not that he has resumed full training or is available for selection.

Next step: Bayern’s squad news

For now, this is an encouraging but unconfirmed update from Bavarian Football Works, based on reporting from Kicker via iMiaSanMia. The next verifiable moment will be Bayern Munich’s training and squad news before the Stuttgart game.

Until then, the simple version is this: Karl may be closer to a return, while Gnabry is reportedly progressing but expected to miss the opener.