7M - Germany Manages Manuel Neuer Fitness Ahead Of World Cup

Germany continues to closely monitor the fitness of veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The Bayern Munich star is set to miss the upcoming friendly against the United States, raising questions regarding his readiness for the start of the 2026 World Cup. Neuer, who returned to international duty after stepping away following the European Championship, has been sidelined by a calf problem that has restricted his team activities. After sitting out the previous match against Finland, he remains unable to train fully with the rest of the squad.

Reports from the training camp reveal that Neuer is currently following an individualized recovery program. While fellow goalkeepers Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nubel proceed with their normal preparations, Neuer has focused on separate fitness work to gradually build up his workload. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann initially hoped the veteran would feature against the United States, but the coaching staff ultimately opted against taking unnecessary risks. Consequently, Baumann is expected to start Germany's final warm-up match before their opening World Cup fixture against Curacao on June 14. Although Germany remains optimistic that Neuer will recover in time for the group stage, his lack of recent match action continues to cause concern.