Bild reports that Bayern Munich have a plan in place which means Manuel Neuer will make his long-awaited return to the starting 11 after the international break.
Over the next two weeks, Neuer is expected to train predominantly with the under-23s as well as additional goalkeeper training as most of the senior squad are away on international duty or injured. The goalkeeper was also expected to play in Bayern Munich II’s two games against Aschaffenburg and Buchbach over the international break to gain match experience but both games were postponed.
However, it is unknown whether Neuer will return against Mainz or Galatasaray as Bayern do not want to rush the 37-year-old’s return as he has only recently recovered from a calf injury.
The return of Neuer will bring to an end a 10-month saga which saw Bayern buy a new goalkeeper in Yann Sommer while also being linked to a host of other goalkeepers in the summer before sticking with Sven Ulreich when the season began.
The big question once Neuer returns will be if he is able to play at the level that he was at before he broke his leg. At times he showed the quality he possessed but there were also signs of decline during the World Cup last winter.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
