Bayern goalie Neuer suffers setback in injury recovery

Bayern Munich goalie and captain Manuel Neuer has suffered a setback in his return from a calf injury, the German club said in a statement on Saturday.

Neuer has been out since tearing his calf muscle while celebrating a goal in Bayern’s Champions League last 16 first leg win over Bayer Leverkusen in early March.

The 38-year-old had returned to training with the ball in recent days but reinjured the calf muscle in training this weekend.

Bayern said Neuer had “a reaction in the calf muscle” and would need to sit out training “in the coming days”.

The setback puts Neuer in doubt for Bayern’s Bundesliga home clash with St Pauli on March 29. Bayern play Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals over two legs in April.

Neuer’s back-up, 21-year-old Jonas Urbig, did not play with Germany’s U21s during the international break after injuring his foot.

The Bavarian giants also have Israel national goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and Sven Ulreich as options in the squad.

Bayern are six points clear of second-placed Leverkusen with eight league games remaining this season.

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