Bayern Munich's 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has returned to training, according to German newspaper Bild. The German shot-stopper rejoined team training on Monday afternoon.
Neuer previously missed Bayern's 6-1 Bundesliga victory over RB Leipzig and the 3-3 Champions League draw at Stavanger due to fluid in his foot. The 2014 World Cup winner had been undergoing rehabilitation at the training center for the past week. With just two days until Wednesday's Champions League match against Arsenal, Neuer has now returned to full team training.
At 2 PM on Monday, Neuer appeared at the Säbener Straße training ground with his teammates. The session took place behind newly installed large screens, but Bild managed to capture images of Bayern's number one preparing for the clash against Premier League champions Arsenal. Neuer participated in training for nearly 40 minutes before returning to the dressing room with the players who had featured against Leipzig. During this time, he also had a brief conversation with 46-year-old goalkeeping coach Michael Rechner, after which the two embraced.
Neuer's availability for the Arsenal match remains uncertain. According to Bild, Bayern will monitor his foot's reaction to the training load after Monday's session and again following the final pre-match training at 2 PM on Tuesday. If there is no recurrence of fluid buildup, the five-time FIFA The Best goalkeeper is expected to start in Wednesday's Champions League clash.
If Neuer's foot problem returns, 23-year-old backup goalkeeper Jonas Urbig is ready to deputize. The German international previously filled in for Neuer in the matches against Leipzig and at Stavanger. Urbig has made 4 appearances for Bayern this season, while Neuer has played 6 times. Based on current circumstances, Neuer is expected to be fit for the Arsenal match.
Jamal Musiala, 23, is ruled out of the Arsenal match. The Bayern midfielder suffered a right thigh muscle fiber tear three weeks ago and has not yet recovered sufficiently to participate in the Champions League encounter. On Monday morning, Musiala continued his rehabilitation at Säbener Straße, alongside 18-year-old Bayern prospect Maycon Cardoso, who dislocated his shoulder seven weeks ago. Both trained under 41-year-old rehabilitation coach Simon Martinello and 39-year-old assistant coach Floribert Ngalula. The session focused on physical recovery, including short sprints, change-of-direction drills, and interval running on the pitch equipped with gray screens.
Musiala is definitely unavailable for Arsenal. His status for Bayern's Bundesliga away trip to Freiburg on Sunday, October 25th at 5:30 PM remains unclear. However, according to Bild, Bayern currently expects Musiala to return for either the DFB-Pokal second-round match at home against Magdeburg on October 28th at 8:45 PM or the Bundesliga clash against Borussia Dortmund on October 31st at 6:30 PM.
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