Leonard Prescott will become the youngest goalkeeper in Champions League history when he makes his Bayern Munich debut this week.
The 16-year-old is set to start against Atalanta as Vincent Kompany is currently missing FOUR of his experienced goalkeepers.
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Bayern’s unprecedented injury crisis worsened on Saturday in their 1-1 Bundesliga draw against Bayer Leverkusen.
Sven Ulreich, Bayern’s third goalkeeper, started in the BayArena but suffered a torn muscle fiber in his right adductor area.
He will now be confined to the treatment room to join regular player Manuel Neuer, who has suffered a calf strain.
The 39-year-old is not expected to return to fitness until after the international break and his two deputies have also had problems.
Jonas Urbig suffered a concussion in the final stages of the 6-1 Champions League round of 16 first leg at Atalanta.
Teenager Prescott is now needed for the second leg on Wednesday following Ulreich’s injury against Leverkusen.
The American-born star was on the bench for Bayern’s last two games, while Leon Klanac was also missing for a long time.
Speaking on The Pitch Prospect’s Trans Europe Express Podcast, Danny Kelly pointed out that “in English leagues, emergency loans are given when all the goalkeepers are injured because it is such a specialist position”.
EFL regulations state that such a transfer can only be made for seven days, but can be extended if the injury situation remains unchanged.
Sheffield Wednesday signed Joe Lumley from Bristol City on an emergency loan deal in October after Ethan Horvath was sent off.
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Kompany was a Manchester City player when the Premier League granted the club special dispensation to loan Marton Fulop in 2010.
However, European football expert Andy Brassell confirmed that the rule does not exist for the Bayern boss in the Champions League.
Leonard Prescott ready to make history
Brassell told The Pitch Prospect: “The problem they have, if it’s actually a problem, when you’re 6-1 up in the first leg and it’s the home game against Atalanta, then they’re out of goalkeepers.”
“As we know, Manuel Neuer is injured. Jonas Urbig suffered a blow to the head last week. He is going through the concussion protocol.”
“So he won’t play either. So came Sven Ulreich, the experienced third-choice goalkeeper. It was clear after a while that he had done something to himself because Dayot Upamecano took the goal kicks. And he will be out for several weeks due to a muscle injury.”
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“So it looks like the next guy on the weekend that Max Dowman did his thing will be a 16-year-old.”
“Leonard Prescott was on the bench for this game on Saturday. Therefore, the normal fourth choice is not available at the moment.”
“Jannis Bärtl, the reserve goalkeeper for the second team, will not be selected.
“They’ll probably go with Prescott instead. But what a moment for him, no matter what’s up for grabs in this game!”
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Youngest players in Champions League history
Max Dowman (15 years 308 days)
Slavia Prague – Arsenal 0-3, November 4, 2025
Youssoufa Moukoko (16 years 18 days)
Zenit 1-2 Dortmund, December 8, 2020
Lamine Yamal (16 years 68 days)
Barcelona – Antwerp 5-0, September 19, 2023
Céléstine Babayaro (16 years 86 days)
Steaua – Anderlecht 1-1, November 23, 1994
Rayan Cherki (16 years 102 days)
Zenit 2-0 Lyon, November 27, 2019
Marli salmon (16 years 103 days)
Club Brugge – Arsenal 0-3, December 10, 2025
Alen Halilovic (16 years 128 days)
Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 PSG, October 24, 2012
Youri Tielemans (16 years 148 days)
Anderlecht – Olympiacos Piraeus 0-3, October 2, 2013
Francesco Camarda (16 years 226 days)
AC Milan – Club Brugge 3-1, October 22, 2024
Warren Zaire-Emery (16 years 228 days)
PSG 7-2 Maccabi Haifa, October 25, 2022
Charalampos Mavrias (16 years 241 days)
Panathinaikos 0-0 Rubin Kazan, October 20, 2010
Who is Leonard Prescott?
The New York-born goalkeeper decided to play for Germany on the international national soccer team at U15, U16 and U17 levels during his youth.
If he starts, he would be Bayern’s youngest ever goalkeeper and the youngest goalkeeper in Champions League history.
At 16 years and 176 days old, Prescott would be the eighth-youngest player in the competition overall, with Arsenal’s Dowman at the top.
The 1.96 meter tall goalkeeper played most of this season in FC Bayern’s U19s after joining from Union Berlin in 2023.
Prescott kept just one clean sheet and conceded 30 goals in 16 appearances for the club’s U19 and UEFA Youth League teams.