As confirmed by Bayern Munich, Manuel Neuer suffered a muscle fibre tear injury during the 0-3 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday. This is despite previous reports that the goalkeeper was given the tentative all-clear following initial examinations.
The 39-year-old goalkeeper had to be substituted just before the halftime whistle and was replaced by 22-year-old Jonas Urbig.
It’s unclear how long Neuer will be absent from the Bayern team. The veteran will undergo scans in the coming days to assess how much or little damage was done. This now means that Neuer will be missing from a number of big Bundesliga matchdays in the coming weeks, with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen all coming up in the next four weeks.
It will be a big moment for apprentice Urbig, who is currently seen as the successor to Neuer when he officially hangs up his gloves.
Urbig has now made eight appearances in all competitions for Vincent Kompany’s side this season. However, he’ll now have to become Bayern number one, at least for the time being.
GGFN | Jamie Allen
