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Manuel Neuer has been completing full team training sessions for Bayern Munich for just over two weeks now, but he’s experienced yet another minor setback in his race to be fully fit before the end of the season. Per a report by Bild, an MRI scan has revealed that the keeper is suffering from bone marrow edema in his foot, an excessive build-up of fluid within the bone—in Neuer’s case, his metatarsal.
The condition can cause severe swelling and thus make the skin in the effected area increasingly tight. After the edema was discovered, Neuer was ordered to rest for at least two to three days to reduce the swelling, leaving him out of contention for Bayern’s 3-1 win over FC Köln.
According to BILD, Manuel Neuer paused because of a bone edema - a build-up of fluid - in the left foot. That's why he had to rest for 2 or 3 days, postponing his hoped come back on Saturday in Cologne. a use next Saturday against Stuttgart is more than doubtful. #FCBayern pic.twitter.com/PhblwT0xTz
— Home Bayern (@HomeBayern___) May 6, 2018
Neuer had been hopeful of potentially receiving minutes in either of Bayern’s two remaining Bundesliga matches, but it now looks as if the only possible date for a comeback this season, if any, would be for the DFB-Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt on May 19th. Given Sven Ulreich’s excellent form, however, Jupp Heynckes will not risk Neuer unless he’s absolutely ready to play.
Realistically for Neuer, it’s now boiling down to a matter of being fully fit for the World Cup. Joachim Löw has to prepare his preliminary 23-man roster for Germany by May 14th and a final roster by June 4th, giving Neuer only a month and a half to be ready. Bild suggests that Low wants to take four goalkeepers to the preliminary training camp in South Tyrol, Italy, from May 23rd to June 7th. Paris Saint-Germain’s Kevin Trapp is slated to be Neuer’s emergency replacement alongside Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno, if Neuer is not fit on time.