Bayern’s Manuel Neuer To Make Comeback After Year Out

Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer will make his comeback in Saturday’s home Bundesliga match against Darmstadt, having missed almost a year with a broken leg, coach Thomas Tuchel announced on Friday.

The 37-year-old, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, has not played since suffering the injury in a skiing accident last December, days after returning from featuring for his country at the World Cup in Qatar.

“As long as nothing happens in training, he will play tomorrow,” Tuchel disclosed in an interview.

“He is delighted, we are delighted, and others will probably be delighted too,” Tuchel said with a smile.

Neuer has not played for Bayern since a victory away to his old club Schalke on November 12 last year, just before the World Cup.

The goalkeeper travelled to Qatar as Germany’s captain, but the four-time winners were eliminated in the group stage.

Neuer then broke his leg on a skiing trip after returning to Germany and the injury required surgery in December.

Bayern then recruited Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer from Borussia Moenchengladbach to replace Neuer, but he left for Inter Milan in the close season.

Tuchel said earlier this month that Bayern would not rush their captain’s rehabilitation.

But defender Matthijs de Ligt said on Monday the team was eagerly awaiting Neuer’s return.

He told reporters Bayern were “very happy that Manu will be back soon” while describing him as “a world-class goalkeeper, one of the best in the history of football”.

Neuer, who has made almost 500 appearances for Bayern since signing from Schalke in 2011, has been replaced as Germany skipper during his absence by Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.