Bayern captain Manuel Neuer sidelined 'for the time being' with partial tendon tear

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer has sustained a partial tendon tear in his right foot and will be out “for the time being,” the club said Sunday after a medical examination.

The injury occurred during Bayern’s 2-1 Bundesliga win at Mainz on Saturday. Neuer was forced off shortly before halftime at the MEWA Arena and was replaced by goalkeeper Jonas Urbig. The match was Neuer’s 550th Bundesliga appearance. Bundesliga reporting said the apparent injury happened during the sequence around a disallowed Mainz goal.

Bayern said its medical department diagnosed the partial tendon tear in Neuer’s right foot, but the club did not give any timetable for his return. Its update said only that the 40-year-old goalkeeper will be unavailable for the time being.

The setback appears to be a recurrence rather than a new issue. Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said after the match: “It’s the same problem he had before. It’s resurfaced now. We hope it’s not too serious.” Bundesliga reporting said Neuer had already missed Bayern’s previous two league matches with a foot injury. Before Saturday’s game, he had made nine appearances in all competitions this season.

Bayern’s win at Mainz, secured by goals from Joshua Kimmich in the 14th minute and Lennart Karl in the 57th before Phillip Tietz scored in stoppage time for the home side, kept the German champion top of the Bundesliga. But the result came with an immediate cost: Bayern will now be without its captain and first-choice goalkeeper for an unspecified period.