In what had initially looked to be a just a gesture of recognition from Vincent Kompany for keeper Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich later confirmed that the keeper’s sub in the second half of the 5-1 win over FC Köln was due to injury as he was replaced by Jonas Urbig. It was later revealed that Neuer had a slight muscular problem in his calf and that he would be “taking it easy” for the time being, putting question marks next to his involvement in this weekend’s DFB-Pokal final against VfB Stuttgart
in Berlin. Additionally, Julian Nagelsmann has also said he wants to bring Neuer to the World Cup with Germany, adding more weight to the most recent injury concern.
During Bayern’s title celebrations in Marienplatz, Neuer himself had said his most recent injury was nothing serious, but there’s still no confirmation that he will, in fact, be fit on time for the cup final on Saturday and likewise the World Cup next month. Still, there has been no official confirmation from Bayern or Kompany as far as what Neuer’s status is for the Pokal final at the Olympiastadion.
Despite a level of uncertainty surrounding Neuer’s current status, board member for sport Max Eberl is remaining hopeful that the veteran keeper will be good to go for Saturday afternoon. “This minor injury is a pity, because the cup final is this week. That’s what matters for us right now. We’re hoping he’ll be in goal on Saturday,” Eberl stressed over the weekend (via @iMiaSanMia).
As per a recent update from Bild, Neuer’s injury does not include anything structural with a strain or tear, which is promising in terms of nothing serious or further risk of aggravation, but that’s been the case for a few months now. It will be a tight window for Neuer, especially if he plans on accepting Nagelsmann’s offer to join the national team at the World Cup this summer. Urbig will be more than ready to stand in for Neuer if he’s not able to go for the Pokal final vs. Stuttgart, but it’s still not impossible for Neuer to play in the final and the World Cup, so long as there aren’t any more injury setbacks.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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