Overview
- On Saturday, Nov. 7, Manuel Neuer made history by becoming the oldest player to appear for Bayern Munich in a Bundesliga match at 40 years and 225 days before leaving the game with a right-foot/tendon problem.
- The injury followed a 40th-minute set-piece in which Neuer misjudged a cross and Mainz’s Lee Jae-sung briefly appeared to equalise before VAR ruled the goal out for offside.
- Neuer was substituted before half-time and 23-year-old Jonas Urbig replaced him, helping Bayern hold on for a 2-1 win that kept the club top of the Bundesliga and unbeaten.
- Bayern have scheduled further medical examinations and team captain Joshua Kimmich publicly warned the issue 'is probably something serious,' creating immediate uncertainty over Neuer’s availability for upcoming fixtures.
- Neuer’s setback compounds a wider injury list at Bayern, raises near-term goalkeeper succession questions because his contract runs to season’s end, and gives Urbig a likely chance to prove himself in the coming weeks.