Kicker rank Neuer as the SEVENTH-BEST goalkeeper in the Bundesliga this season

Manuel Neuer has been ranked down in seventh on a list of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga this season after a difficult start to the campaign for the Bayern Munich star.

Neuer has been Bayern's first-choice goalkeeper for over a decade, and has been widely recognised as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world during this period.

However, he has not been at his best this term, keeping just four clean sheets in Germany's top-flight, and this has counted against him, with Kicker, via BuliNews, placing six goalkeepers above him in their standings.

The German outlet have put Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel top of the list, with Borussia Monchengladbach's Yann Sommer taking second spot, and Kevin Trapp of Eintracht Frankfurt completing the top three.

Marvin Schwabe (Koln), Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg) and Mark Flekken (Freiburg) also make the list ahead of Neuer.

Trapp and Schwabe are both German, meaning Neuer has not even been considered the best goalkeeper in his own country by Kicker based on this season.

The 36-year-old still managed to retain his place in goal for Germany at the World Cup, but the tournament went disastrously for Hansi Flick's men.

The 2014 winners suffered a shock 2-1 defeat against Japan in their opening game, and despite picking up four points from their next two matches against Spain and Costa Rica, they still exited at the group stage on goal difference.

This was the second successive World Cup that Germany failed to make the knockout rounds, and Neuer conceded five goals in Qatar.

His end to the year went from bad to worse when he broke his leg while skiing following Germany's elimination.

Neuer has been ruled out for the rest of the season, leaving him unable to improve his Kicker ranking in the new year.