News Focus
- Manuel Neuer will miss Bayern Munich’s DFB-Pokal tie against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday
- The goalkeeper suffered a minor calf strain during last week’s victory over 1. FC Köln
- Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann fully supports the decision to rest his captain
- The extra recovery time ensures Neuer is fully fit for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar
Julian Nagelsmann has welcomed the news that Manuel Neuer will sit out this weekend’s match. The Germany head coach believes the rest period will benefit the national side.
Neuer picked up a slight calf problem during Bayern’s recent win against Köln. This injury rules him out of the DFB-Pokal quarter-final clash with Stuttgart. However, Nagelsmann sees this as a positive development for Die Mannschaft.
“From our point of view, it is better that he gets extra days to recover,” the Germany boss explained on DFB.tv. “He can then join us in perfect condition.”
Nagelsmann confirmed he has held positive talks with Bayern officials regarding the goalkeeper’s situation. The two parties carefully considered the pros and cons of risking the 36-year-old in this fixture.
The coach explained that playing Neuer carried unnecessary risks. A clean sheet on Saturday would not guarantee the trophy, as the result depends on the whole team and the opposition. However, playing could have led to a worse injury that would threaten his World Cup place.
Although missing this match might reduce Neuer’s match sharpness slightly, Nagelsmann is not worried. He pointed to the veteran keeper’s vast experience as reason enough to remain calm about any lack of rhythm.