Overview
- On Thursday, Manuel Neuer was not training fully with the German squad and remained in a progressive load-building program two days before Saturday's friendly in the United States.
- Coaches have started to reintroduce him into some drills with gradual increases in activity, but training has been partial rather than full participation.
- A decision on whether Neuer will play in the final pre-tournament test on Saturday is still open and will depend on his daily recovery and response to the workload.
- Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann plans to address the Neuer question at the team's Friday press conference, leaving little time to finalise the matchday lineup before the World Cup.
- Neuer has suffered repeated calf problems this season, he was withdrawn in Bayern's last league match after 60 minutes, and his fitness uncertainty has prompted public debate and high-profile support for Nagelsmann's handling of the situation.