Manuel Neuer had to be withdrawn from Saturday’s match against 1. FC Köln with a calf injury, which came at an inopportune time as Bayern still have the cup final on the agenda
The record champions face VfB Stuttgart on Saturday at 8 p.m. The aim is to finally win the cup again in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium after often being eliminated early in recent years
However, Neuer’s calf is not only an issue for the final, but, as is becoming increasingly apparent, also for the 2026 World Cup, even if Julian Nagelsmann did not want to confirm this on Saturday in the Aktuelle Sportstudio
Neuer: Will he miss the cup final?
However, various media recently reported that Neuer will be nominated for the tournament and will then also travel to North America as number one. The goalkeeper himself emphasised after the Cologne game that he is now concentrating on the championship celebrations and then the cup final. But is that really the case?
According to information from BILD, Neuer does not have a structural injury in his calf, so a long absence is not an issue. It is interesting to note, however, that there have been several minor muscular problems in the calf area over the course of the season, including fiber tears
A premature integration into training operations must be prevented. According to the report, an appearance in the cup final seems theoretically possible, but the Neuer side and FC Bayern want to avoid any risk. Conversely, this means that it is possible to give Jonas Urbig the lead in the cup final
One thing is certain: if Neuer does suffer a serious injury, then the World Cup is off the table. Meanwhile, goalkeeping titan Kahn warned Neuer against over-committing around the World Cup: „It’s possible to still produce world-class performances here and there. But it’s very difficult to do that in a 2-3 day rhythm. Mentally, but also physically,“ said Kahn in Doppelpass .
