With Manuel Neuer out, the time is now for Alexander Nübel to take over at Bayern Munich
With Manuel Neuer out long term, Bayern Munich might be forced to hand over the no.1 position to Alexander Nübel now.
Manuel Neuer will not feature again for Bayern Munich this season. The 36-year-old broke his leg on a ski tour—an activity not forbidden by Bayern Munich, despite the obvious risks. The goalkeeper will now be out until at least August, perhaps longer, depending on his recovery.
With that in mind, the goalkeeper might not regain full form until he is almost 38. Neuer will turn 37 in March if everything goes perfectly—a big if considering the doctors had to put his bones together with two screws that will remain in his body for the rest of his life—the German goalkeeper will return to practice in August.
Then the real work begins; once cleared to play, goalkeepers usually need the amount of time they were out to regain their full fitness, reflexes, and general feeling that they can trust their body. That timeline for Neuer was evident when he suffered his second metatarsal injury in 2017. Neuer returned just in time for the 2018 World Cup but would not be his former self until the 2019/20 season, in which Bayern won the treble.
The current injury is on a similar timeline to his second metatarsal injury. Hence, should the shot-stopper fight his way back, it might take some time until Bayern can rely on peak Neuer.
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