Manuel Neuer has been ruled out of the upcoming friendly matches against France and the Netherlands, as announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Wednesday. In a training session in Frankfurt, the 37-year-old experienced a left leg muscle tear, leading to his early exit from the practice.
Neuer was poised to return to international play for the first time in 15 months against France in Lyon on Saturday following his selection by Julian Nagelsmann, the team’s coach. Unfortunately, this injury means he will also miss the game against the Netherlands in Frankfurt the following Tuesday. This setback raises uncertainties regarding his availability for Bayern Munich’s quarter-final match against Arsenal in the Champions League on April 9.
Manuel Neuer’s Germany back luck continues with latest injury
After last participating in the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 and subsequently sustaining a broken leg, Neuer had been sidelined for nearly a year. His return to the Germany squad had recently been lauded by Bayern’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, who remarked on Neuer’s unparalleled capabilities and described his recovery as extraordinarily rare, “really unique… one in 20,000 — maybe one in 20 million.”
Regarding the goalkeeper position for the upcoming Euros, which will take place in Germany in June and July, Nagelsmann has yet to decide between Neuer and Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona as the team’s primary goalkeeper.
