It should only be a matter of days until Manuel Neuer is back in goal for FC Bayern. The colleagues are happy. Another national soccer player is set to celebrate his comeback against Dortmund.
The FC Bayern stars are looking forward to the return of captain Manuel Neuer after a long injury break.
“We are very happy that Manuel is back,” said central defender Matthijs de Ligt about Neuer’s planned return on Saturday in the Bundesliga against SV Darmstadt 98. “He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, one of the best in the whole History in football.”
On Saturday, Neuer will be in goal for the German soccer record champions for the first time in almost a year. He will be represented by Sven Ulreich at the Champions League game in Istanbul.
“I’m also happy for Manu that he’s taken the step to be back on the pitch soon. I’m really happy for him because I really appreciate him as a person,” said Ulreich, looking forward to an atmospheric game at Rams Park waits. Afterwards he will sit back on the bench and support Manu so that he plays a good Bundesliga season.
Comeback after broken tibia and fibula
The last time Neuer was in the Munich goal was on November 12, 2022 in a 2-0 away win against FC Schalke. The 2014 world champion played his last game ever 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. He has been working on the comeback ever since. They are looking forward to Neuer, “with his experience and his quality. We of course hope that he comes back well,” said de Ligt.
National player Serge Gnabry is already back in training. It remains unclear when the winger will be able to play again. For Leon Goretzka, who suffered a broken hand in the 3-1 win in Mainz, coach Thomas Tuchel targeted the game on November 4th at Borussia Dortmund as a comeback game.
“Dortmund is of course a super important game. You can aim for that with optimal healing,” said the 50-year-old. “The championship is not won or lost there. But it is the period that you can aim for.”
Number one again in the DFB goal?
The former national goalkeeper and goalkeeper coach of the DFB team, Andreas Köpke, expects Neuer to make a “really strong” comeback. In the German national soccer team, national coach Julian Nagelsmann must then make the “right decision” as to whether the 37-year-old, who has been injured for a long time, replaces Barcelona professional Marc-André ter Stegen as number 1 again or not, said the 61-year-old European champion 1996 the “Bild” newspaper.
Former world champion Sepp Maier (79) demanded in the debate: “Let him play again first! Then we’ll see whether he can do it again. From my side, let me say: If he wants to do it, then he can do it it again!” Neuer will rise “like a phoenix from the ashes” and no one will notice “that he was absent for ten months and is 37 years young.”
“Manuel’s main focus now should only be on being healthy and really getting back to his old self,” said 1990 world champion Bodo Illgner. “He has to be fit and comfortable between the posts and on the pitch. You have to remember that he hasn’t been able to play for a long time.” Jens Lehmann, national goalkeeper at the home World Cup in 2006, said: “If Manuel wants it and gets back to normal form, he will play at the European Championships (2024).”
Source: Stern
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