FC Bayern’s concerns about Manuel Neuer are growing, and just a few days before the DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart, it remains unclear whether the captain will be able to play at all
On Wednesday, the 40-year-old’s ailing left calf was again examined intensively. Although the injury is not said to be structurally serious, the complaints are causing great concern internally – both with regard to the cup final and the upcoming World Cup
According to tz, there is now a sense of alarm at Säbener Straße
Bayern draws a clear line
Internally at FCB, those responsible have apparently made a clear decision: no training, no game
In concrete terms, this means that if Neuer is unable to fully participate in team training on Thursday, he will not be in goal for the cup final on Saturday
Bayern want to avoid a last-minute decision at all costs, but instead want to have final clarity before they leave for Berlin
This means that there are currently many indications that Jonas Urbig could play in the final if the worst comes to the worst
The 2014 World Cup winner has been working hard for days to get fit in time. According to reports, Neuer immediately felt something wrong with his calf during the 5-1 win over Cologne, which is why he took himself off the pitch to prevent anything worse from happening
Since then, however, the Bayern captain has not taken part in any public team training sessions
At Säbener Straße, the situation is now being described as a „race against time“
DFB follows situation with great concern
The DFB is also keeping a close eye on developments. Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly still planning to use Neuer as number 1 for the World Cup. However, the current injury situation is complicating matters
Internally, the question is increasingly being raised as to whether an injured Neuer can really be nominated – especially in view of Oliver Baumann, who was set for the entire World Cup qualifying campaign
A final discussion between Nagelsmann and Neuer is set to take place before the official squad announcement
Neuer is well aware of the problem
Particularly tricky: the complaints once again affect the left calf – the very side that has repeatedly caused problems since his serious skiing accident in December 2022
According to the report, the Bayern doctors do not see a direct link to the lower leg fracture at the time, but the region is still considered susceptible internally
Neuer himself has been working on his body extremely professionally for years, optimizing his diet, sleep and training down to the smallest detail, but even the Bayern captain is not spared from age-related stresses and strains
Whether it will ultimately be enough for the cup final and the World Cup will probably be decided in the coming hours.