Bayern Munich will be without young forward Maycon Cardozo for several months. The 17-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder in Saturday's Regionalliga match at Illertissen and underwent surgery on Tuesday, as sporting director Christoph Freund confirmed to German outlet BILD.
The injury occurred in the 80th minute of the match, which Bayern's second team won 2-0. Cardozo fell awkwardly on his shoulder and had to be substituted. Initial examinations on site were followed by further checks in Munich on Monday, leading to the severe diagnosis. Freund said on Tuesday morning: "He fell on his shoulder and has a dislocated shoulder."
How did Cardozo perform in pre-season?
The setback hits the young Brazilian at a time when he had been making a strong impression. Cardozo was one of the positive surprises during the first team's pre-season preparations. He impressed at the training camp at Tegernsee at the end of July, as well as during the first team's Asia tour in the first week of August. He showed good performances in test matches against Jeju SK and Aston Villa. In the decisive Regionalliga match against Illertissen, he provided the assist for the 2-0 goal, setting up the first season win for coach Dante's team and recommending himself for further appearances. The current injury situation of Bayern's first-team players can be viewed on the injuries page.
What did the club's management say about the talent?
Sporting director Max Eberl had praised the attacking player just in mid-August in a conversation with BILD. Alongside Tim Binder, who is currently recovering from a muscle fiber tear, Cardozo had made an impression. "It's simply fun to watch them. They are adapting with us, with the professionals," Eberl said. "They are certainly also lads who will maybe get their chances at some point in a season, like some did last season." This assessment underscores how regrettable the now lengthy absence is for the further development of the youth player. Cardozo is one of several young players who play a role in the season's planning, as shown in the current squad overview.
How did the player himself react?
Maycon Cardozo showed a fighting spirit on Instagram even before the official diagnosis was announced. "It is a difficult and sad moment for me, but I know that God is with me and will protect me," he wrote in his Story. "Thank you to everyone who wished me a good recovery. I will be back soon." The attacker, who grew up in Thailand, had established himself as one of the most promising actors in the second team in recent weeks. His absence is a severe loss for the Regionalliga team, which faces an important match next weekend.
What is Cardozo's perspective at Bayern Munich?
Despite the injury, Cardozo remains a promising project for Bayern Munich's future. His contract runs until 2027, giving the club enough time to carefully plan his rehabilitation and integrate the player long-term. Bayern's second team currently plays in the Regionalliga Bayern and must tackle the upcoming tasks without their creative offensive player. The next competitive match for the first team is the DFB-Pokal match on Wednesday in Osnabrück, which will be broadcast at 20:45 on ARD and Sky. The complete schedule can be found on our fixtures page. The second team plays its next Regionalliga match on Saturday, September 12th.
