Bayern Munich will be without captain Manuel Neuer for the Champions League trip to Atalanta after the goalkeeper suffered a calf injury during Friday’s win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Neuer was taken off at half-time in Bayern’s 4-1 victory after appearing uncomfortable late in the first half. Jonas Urbig replaced the 39-year-old after the break, and Bayern have now confirmed the problem is a minor muscle tear in his left calf.
The club said the goalkeeper will be sidelined “for the time being”, ruling him out of the Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Atalanta in Bergamo next week.
According to reports from Germany, Neuer could be absent for around two weeks, depending on how quickly he recovers.
That timeline would also place next weekend’s Bundesliga meeting with Bayer Leverkusen in doubt.
There is also uncertainty over the return leg against Atalanta at the Allianz Arena on March 18. For Neuer to feature in that match, his rehabilitation would need to progress smoothly with no setbacks.
Speaking immediately after the final whistle against Gladbach, head coach Vincent Kompany admitted the situation was unclear at the time.
“He felt something, ” Kompany said. “I don’t want to speculate too much. If it’s nothing serious, then we won’t lose him for long, but the next game comes very quickly. ”
The setback is particularly frustrating for Neuer after he had only recently returned from another calf issue. The Bayern captain was forced off at half-time during the 3-0 win over Werder Bremen on February 14 and had only just worked his way back into the starting lineup.
With Neuer unavailable, Urbig is expected to start in Bergamo. The 22-year-old has already stepped in for Bayern during European competition and will now be handed another major opportunity between the posts.
