Bayern goalkeeper Neuer's return from injury still unclear after new operation

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has undergone an operation to remove metal implants from the leg he broke while skiing last season.

Bayern said on Monday the operation the day before was planned as part of Neuer's treatment.

“The FC Bayern captain immediately resumed his rehabilitative training,” Bayern said without specifying a timeline for Neuer's possible return to the squad.

Bayern’s first game of the season is on Saturday against Leipzig in the German Super Cup before its Bundesliga title defense begins on Aug. 18 at Werder Bremen.

The 37-year-old Neuer hasn't played since the World Cup last year after he broke his leg in a ski accident in December. He wasn't on Bayern's preseason tour of Japan and Singapore as Swiss keeper Yann Sommer — signed in January as a replacement during Neuer's injury — and longtime backup Sven Ulreich split the goalkeeping duties.

Sommer is reportedly close to signing for Champions League runner-up Inter Milan, and another Bayern goalkeeper, Alexander Nübel, has already been sent to Stuttgart on loan.

Bayern has been repeatedly linked with other goalkeepers during the German transfer window, alongside the club's pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane. Given the uncertainty over Neuer's return to fitness, it could be hard to guarantee how much playing time a new arrival will get. Neuer's injury is also a concern for the German national team ahead of hosting the European Championship next year.

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