Manuel Neuer ruled out after partial tendon tear in right foot

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been ruled out for the time being after medical examinations confirmed a partial tendon tear in his right foot.

The 40-year-old was substituted shortly before half-time in Bayern’s 2-1 Bundesliga win over Mainz on Saturday, a match that marked his 550th appearance in Germany’s top flight.

Neuer had only recently returned to the starting line-up after missing Bayern’s previous two league fixtures because of a foot problem. Jonas Urbig came on to replace him before the interval.

The injury occurred during the build-up to a Mainz goal which was later disallowed for offside. Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said immediately after the match that the club feared the earlier problem had returned.

“It’s the same problem he had before,” Eberl said. “It’s resurfaced now. We hope it’s not too serious.”

Further tests have since established that Neuer has suffered a partial tear in the tendon of his right foot. Bayern have not given a recovery timetable, saying only that the goalkeeper will be unavailable “for the time being”.

The latest injury is another setback for Neuer, who has made nine appearances in all competitions this season.

Despite his fitness concerns, Neuer remains one of the most successful players in Bundesliga history. He has won 13 league titles, a joint record he shares with Thomas Muller.

Neuer is also approaching the competition’s all-time appearance record. His 550 Bundesliga matches leave him 52 short of Charly Korbel’s total of 602.