MUNICH — The return of Bayern Munich’s key goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, faces further delays following a calf injury setback. Originally on the mend from a right calf muscle tear, Neuer experienced complications during a training session this past Saturday, causing concerns about an extended recovery period. Bayern Munich reported that the injury worsened, and local media suggested it might be another muscle tear.
Neuer initially sustained this injury when exuberantly celebrating a goal in a match against Bayer Leverkusen on March 6. The incident occurred during Bayern Munich’s 3-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash. Now, the team is likely to proceed without their seasoned 39-year-old goalkeeper for upcoming Bundesliga matches against St. Pauli and Augsburg, and his availability for the Champion’s League quarterfinal match against Inter Milan on April 8 remains uncertain.
In Neuer’s absence, Bayern has relied on 21-year-old Jonas Urbig, who joined the team during the winter from Cologne. Although Urbig helped secure a smooth progression for Bayern against Leverkusen, his tenure as stand-in goalkeeper saw mixed results. While Bayern maintained their league rivalry momentum, they later faced a 3-2 home defeat against a struggling Bochum team and ended in a 1-1 draw with Union Berlin, the latter result marred by a critical mistake from Urbig.