Vincent Kompany is back at Säbener Straße. Bayern Munich said Tuesday that their head coach "is on the road to recovery and has been back at the training ground since the start of the week," his first visit since he collapsed there on Oct. 23. What the club did not give is a date for his return to the bench.

From hospital to the training ground

Kompany, 40, fell ill while watching a second-team training session and was taken to hospital. He was later diagnosed with meningeal irritation, an inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and recovered first in hospital and then at home.

According to the Bundesliga's official site, the former Manchester City captain returned while the facility is quiet, with most of the squad away on international duty, and will continue rehabilitation there on a recent shoulder injury. Bayern held no team session.

Sporting director Max Eberl has been giving regular updates on his condition, but there is still no stated timeline for a return to work.

Danks did not lose

The reason Bayern can afford patience is Aaron Danks. The English assistant took charge after the collapse and, per BBC Sport, led the team to four wins and a draw in the five games Kompany missed. That run included a 2-0 Champions League win at Atlético Madrid, a 6-1 German Cup rout of Magdeburg and Saturday's 2-1 win at Mainz.

Danks has been open about how he approached it. "It has been about sticking a lot to our processes," he said before the Mainz game, according to Reuters. "It's been difficult but I think we have done it through Vince's lens, through his leadership style."

He was just as honest about the circumstances. "It is not like I am happy for this opportunity but I have embraced it and learned a lot," he said, adding that he was looking forward to the break "to get back home to see the family."

Ten days to Cologne

Bayern's next game is at home to Cologne on Friday, Nov. 20. Whether Kompany is on the touchline for it is the open question; the club has made a point of not rushing him, and the international break buys everyone time.

What is already clear is that the structure Kompany built held without him. Five games, no defeats, and the Bundesliga leaders still on track. When he does come back, he returns to a team that kept playing his way.