Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer postponing Germany return to 2024

BERLIN: Manuel Neuer announced plans to take things easy when it comes to a return to Germany’s national team. After consultation with national coach Julian Nagelsmann, the 37-year-old goalkeeper has decided to skip the country’s remaining friendlies in November 2023 against Turkey in Berlin and Austria in Vienna, reports Xinhua.

The 2014 World Cup winner said he will focus on his rehabilitation from a complicated broken leg caused by a skiing accident over 11 months ago.

The 37-year-old said he plans to return to the national team in March 2024 and will take up the fight to regain his number one status.

“I am still an ambitious player and I always want to play, and I want to be in the starting 11,” Neuer said, mentioning the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament hosted by Germany next summer.

The Bayern Munich keeper, who returned to action at the end of October in a league encounter against Darmstadt and made his first UEFA Champions League appearance this week against Galatasaray, admitted to still suffering from minor problems after his injury.

In the documentary “The comeback trail — Manuel Neuer’s road to recovery”, the keeper admitted to only narrowly having escaped occupational disability.

“It was a very serious injury. I am happy to be able to continue to play professional football at all, I must admit,” he said, adding that everything now feels like a bonus to him. IANS

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