- Neuer broke his leg while skiing post WC
- Ruled out for the rest of the season
- Back in first-team training
WHAT HAPPENED? Star goalkeeper and team captain, Manuel Neuer, who has been out of action since December 2022 due to a leg injury sustained in a skiing accident after returning from the World Cup, has resumed training with the first-team, as per Sky Germany.
The 37-year-old Bayern and Germany captain was ruled out of the 2022/23 season when he broke his leg during a holiday. However, the Bayern legend finally made a return to training today, six months from the accident. The custodian took part in a light session with goalkeeping coach Michaelrechner and rehabilitation expert Thomas Wilhelmi.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE: A lot has changed since Neuer last stepped into the Bayern first-team training base, with Julian Nagelsmann sacked and Thomas Tuchel taking over at the helm of FC Hollywood. The former Dortmund boss, though, has made no secret of the fact that he sees Neuer as the number one for Bayern next season.
Of course, Neuer’s return will likely accelerate some decisions that will need to be made on the club’s goalkeeping department. Yann Sommer and Alexander Nubel could both end up leaving the club if Neuer is deemed to be fit-enough to take over. That would leave the club with Sven Ulreich as the only back-up.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Sommer, for one, joined Bayern in the winter window from Borussia Monchengladbach as a replacement for Neuer, but he has not done enough to convince boss Tuchel, who doesn't see him as his number one going forward given his recent comments.
With the European Championships on the horizon, Sommer could be forced to look at alternative options, as he cannot afford to sit on the bench at Allianz Arena, while the future of on-loan Monaco goalkeeper Nubel continues to be up in the air.
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Getty
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH AND MANUEL NEUER? While Neuer is making good progress towards his comeback, it will still be some time before we see him in between the sticks for Bayern Munich once again. The skipper hopes to be back for the start of next season, but his recovery would not be rushed to avoid any potential setbacks.
In the meantime, Thomas Tuchel & co. will look to get the job done in terms of defending their Bundesliga crown, with arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund hot on their heels, waiting to pounce on any slip-up.