Neuer out until Jan after foot operation

Bayern Munich have confirmed their Germany goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer will be out until January having undergone another operation yesterday after again fracturing his left foot.The 31-year-old had only returned at the end of August after fracturing the same foot in April.He suffered the fresh injury in training on Monday as Bayern prepared for yesterday’s Bundesliga match at Schalke.“The fact that Manuel Neuer has suffered a new injury means we are all very sorry for him”, said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.“The operation went optimally and that is the most important thing now. Manuel will be available for us again, back at his old strength, in January.”This is Neuer’s third operation on the same foot in six months after minor surgery for a toe injury in March and then again in April after initially fracturing his foot. Neuer’s latest injury blow sparks concerns about Germany’s skipper nine months before the World Cup kicks off.He last played for Germany in a World Cup qualifier in October 2016. Neuer will miss Germany’s key qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast on October 5, where a draw will book the holders’ place at Russia 2018.With Neuer out, Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who deputised when Germany won the Confederations Cup in July, is set to fill in for the world champions.“I’m so sorry for Manuel, of course that is a setback for him,” said Germany’s head coach Joachim Loew.“Manuel has the personality, the discipline and the will – he will do everything to come back just as strong.“Medically, he is in the best hands and he knows that he will get as much support from us as he will from Bayern Munich.”Sven Ulreich will stand in for Neuer at Bayern until the winter break at the end of December.Neuer will miss Bayern’s remaining Champions League group stage games, including their key away match at Paris Saint-Germain on September 27.He will also miss their league and cup double-header against RB Leipzig at the end of October and away Bundesliga match at current leaders Borussia Dortmund in early November.Neuer’s Bayern and Germany teammates quickly rallied around.“You will come back stronger, my friend,” wrote Bayern winger Franck Ribery on Twitter, while Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Robert Lewandowski offered a “get well soon”.Germany star Toni Kroos offered: “You’ll be fit again soon”.Bayern confirmed Neuer underwent the operation at a clinic in Tuebingen, south-west Germany, by head surgeon Ulrich Stoeckle, who has inserted a plate in his foot.Stoeckle has previously treated stars Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribery and David AlabaCologne drop demands for replay over alleged VAR mistakeTable-propping FC Cologne have backed down from demanding a replay over a goal they claim was wrongly awarded to opponents Borussia Dortmund with the help of a video assistant referee (VAR) in their 5-0 Bundesliga defeat on Sunday.Cologne were angry about the second goal where they were initially awarded a free kick, only for the referee to change his mind and gave a goal to the hosts after consulting with the VAR.Cologne, who have no points from their first four league games, announced afterwards that they would lodge a protest and ask for the match to be replayed but yesterday said that “the chances of success for such a protest are slim.”The incident happened in the 45th minute at Signal Iduna Park when Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn dropped the ball at a corner and Dortmund defender Sokratis tapped it into the net.The Billy Goats repeated their claim yesterday that the referee blew his whistle for a foul before the ball crossed the line.“The ball only crossed the line after the referee’s whistle,” said the statement. “Therefore, he could not have turned to the VAR and awarded the goal.”The German Football Association (DFB), asked by Reuters to comment on behalf of referee Patrick Ittrich, did not immediately reply.Both the Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A are trialling the use of VARs this season in co-operation with soccer’s rule-making body the International Football Association Board (IFAB).The IFAB is expected to decide in March whether to permit VARs on a permanent basis. Global soccer body FIFA is hoping to use them at the World Cup in Russia next year.