He is back ! After a skiing accident and a year of hardship, the Bayern Munich goalkeeper is about to return to the goals at the Allianz Arena against Darmstadt in the Bundesliga. The news was announced by Thomas Tuchel at a press conference the day before the match. The former PSG coach has been rather superstitious on occasion.
“If nothing happens in training, ‘you! You ! You !” [formule allemande pour porter chance], he will play tomorrow,” declared Thomas Tuchel, touching the wood of the table in front of him. “He is happy, we are happy, others are probably also happy,” added the Munich technician with a broad smile on his face.
The last match played by Manuel Neuer in Bavarian colors dates back to November 12, 2022, a trip to Gelsenkirchen to face Schalke 04 (2-0 victory).
Failed return last summer
Victim of a “fracture of the lower part” of the right leg (some German media mentioned a double open tibia/fibula fracture) on December 9, 2022, Neuer was operated on the next day. Initially, he hoped to return for Munich’s summer preparation in mid-July, but his rehabilitation took longer than expected.
“It’s already a special situation, it’s been a long time without [match]. I feel his joy, but also all his class. He has enormous experience, it’s a new situation, but these situations are also there to be experienced,” Tuchel added.
From January to the end of May, the interim was provided by the Swiss Yann Sommer, recruited in the winter of 2022/23 and left for Inter Milan in the summer of 2023. Since the start of the season, it has been Sven Ulreich who kept the goals for Bayern.