Manuel Neuer missed action with a torn partial tendon in his right foot after setting a milestone.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper set a club record during a 2-1 Bundesliga victory against 1. FSV Mainz 05. That fixture made him the oldest player ever to represent FC Bayern München in the German top flight, reaching an age of 40 years and 225 days. Yet the milestone ended in a premature exit just before halftime when the veteran shot-stopper stretched for a ball and landed awkwardly on the turf in Mainz.
Medical examinations conducted back in Munich confirmed the extent of the damage. Club officials revealed that the injury is a Sehnenteilriss—a partial tear of the tendon—in the right foot. While the club did not publish an exact recovery timeline in their official statements, n-tv.de reported an expected absence of approximately two months.
Sportvorstand Max Eberl addressed the situation immediately after the final whistle in Mainz, telling reporters that the issue was a recurrence of previous tendon irritation in the foot.
Das ist jetzt wieder aufgetreten,
Eberl said.
Prior to the Mainz fixture, Neuer had returned to the starting lineup for a Champions League match against Atlético Madrid. Following that European appearance, the veteran admitted to enduring daily pain while walking, describing a difficult physical phase.
Wenn er rausgeht, dann ist es wahrscheinlich etwas Ernsthaftes,
Kimmich said.
Following the 45th-minute substitution in Mainz, young goalkeeper Jonas Urbig stepped in to guard the net for the remainder of the contest. Urbig kam für den verletzten Neuer in die Partie, während die Mannschaft das 2:1 gegen Mainz sicherte und Joshua Kimmich das erste Tor erzielte. The win allowed the Munich club to maintain its position at the summit of the Bundesliga table.
Television pundit Dietmar Hamann raised questions on Sky regarding the long-term stability of the position, suggesting that constant rotation due to injuries fails to provide defensive reassurance.
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