Manuel Neuer can look forward to his return to goal at FC Bayern Munich after more than ten months of injury. Coach Thomas Tuchel announced on Friday that the 37-year-old captain would be back in goal for the Bundesliga home game on Saturday against SV Darmstadt 98 (3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky), “if nothing happens in training The last time Neuer was in the Munich goal was on November 12, 2022 in a 2-0 away win against FC Schalke.
“I can feel his anticipation and feel his class. He has a lot of experience, he’s enjoying it right now,” Tuchel continued and added: “There will definitely be a certain amount of nervousness, a tingling feeling. I’m sure he’ll get into the rhythm very quickly.”
Most recently played at the World Cup in Qatar
The 2014 world champion played his last game to date in Germany’s early World Cup exit in Qatar on December 1, 2022 against Costa Rica. After the tournament, he broke his tibia and fibula on his right lower leg during a ski tour. Since then he has been working on his comeback. Sky first reported about the upcoming return.
Tuchel had already refrained from making Neuer’s comeback a week ago against FSV Mainz and then in the Champions League group game at Galatasaray Istanbul. “Now we all have to slow ourselves down,” the Munich coach said about the captain. He paid him “the greatest respect” for the “extraordinary performance” of the comeback.
The time of return had to be postponed
“I am 100 percent convinced that he will return to his highest level,” predicted Tuchel and justified the temporary waiver: “My gut feeling matched his that we said 51 percent that we would give him a little more time .” Tuchel wanted Neuer to be able to work things out with those in front of him before things got serious again.
Neuer’s return plan did not work out as the goalkeeper had hoped. In the meantime, the goal was to start this season, but that didn’t happen. At the end of August, Neuer completed a session with his goalkeeper colleagues for the first time. Afterwards he had to slow down again at times due to calf problems. This season he was replaced in goal by Sven Ulreich, who is now acting as a substitute keeper again. Yann Sommer, who was signed as a representative last winter, left Munich for Inter Milan in the summer.
Christopher Meltzer, Istanbul Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 9 Christopher Meltzer, Istanbul Published/Updated: Recommendations: 8 Christopher Meltzer, Munich Published/Updated: Recommendations: 13
The new national coach Julian Nagelsmann left it open when he took office as to whether former DFB captain Neuer would return to the national team after his long injury break. He wanted to give the FC Bayern goalkeeper the time he needed to get healthy and regain 100 percent performance. “If the situation arises, we will evaluate it,” said Nagelsmann. The next international matches are scheduled for mid-November.
