Clock ticking for injured Neuer as World Cup looms

The clock is ticking down for Manuel Neuer to return from a fractured foot, but the Germany camp is hopeful he will be ready for their World Cup defence.Germany host Spain tomorrow in Duesseldorf and Brazil in Berlin next Tuesday in high-profile friendlies, but will again be without their captain and goalkeeper.In the 31-year-old’s absence, Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Kevin Trapp of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno will be vying for Germany’s number one shirt.Neuer has not played since fracturing his foot last September – the second time he suffered the same injury in 2017.His club Bayern Munich have not set a date for his return, but the countdown is on before Germany announce their World Cup squad on May 15.“There is no pressure from our side, it’s a decision for him and the doctors,” said Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff yesterday.“Of course, we hope he will be 100 percent ready and fit by the time we nominate (the World Cup squad).”Neuer has not played for Germany since October 2016, and the defending world champions are desperate for him to be ready for their opening World Cup match against Mexico in Moscow on June 17.Neuer was voted the world’s best goalkeeper for four years running up until 2016.His six-month absence and lack of match practice is a cause for worry in football-mad Germany.Thomas Mueller understands the concern but is backing his Germany and Bayern team-mate to get fit.“I see ‘Manu’ a bit more than most and he always give the impression that everything is okay,” said Mueller.“I am not privy to what the medical situation is, but I haven’t heard anything to suggest things aren’t going to plan.“He’ll take the necessary time, and from what I know of ‘Manu’, you can never write him off.“The discussion as to whether Neuer will be fit for the World Cup is understandable, but I think he’ll manage it.”The Spain and Brazil games are Germany’s final friendlies before the World Cup squad is picked, but warm-up matches are planned against Austria and Saudi Arabia on June 2 and 8 respectively.Four years ago, a shoulder injury also hampered Neuer’s preparation before the last World Cup.But Bierhoff admits the long absence this time around is new territory for Neuer.“I don’t see it as a problem, the work-load on his foot will be gradually built up,” said Bierhoff.“What is different from 2014, of course, is a lack of match practice.“But I still think that during intense training sessions, a world-class goalkeeper comes relatively quickly back into his rhythm.”Germany needs major reforms to remain competitive: BierhoffGerman football will need to undertake major steps to remain competitive globally, the world champions’ team manager Oliver Bierhoff said ahead of their friendly against Spain this week. Along with the World Cup they won in 2014, the Germans were also successful at last year’s Confederations Cup and are Under-21 European champions. However, Bierhoff said changes were needed to remain at the top.“I am convinced good work is being done in German football, we are Confederations Cup winners, Under-21 European champions but we cannot only look at this generation,” former Germany striker Bierhoff told reporters. “We have to look at the development. You don’t have to be an expert to see that we need to take the next big step. We need to take a big step united.“We must be able to react quicker to things. We must give the coaches information, guidelines and pointers to react to certain things.”Bierhoff’s comments come after Germany coach Joachim Loew said Bundesliga clubs were teaching players to play against the ball too much and not what to do when they have possession. He warned that could affect the country’s future prospects as other nations had caught up. Germany, four-time World Cup winners, overhauled the youth training system after disappointing results at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Around 80 million euros ($98 million) per year flowed into new and obligatory youth training centres of Bundesliga clubs as an exciting generation of players was forged.The result has been Germany reaching the final or semi-final stage in the last six consecutive tournaments. “There is a lot of working against the ball, a lot of systems, everyone knows them by heart but maybe we neglected the individual aspects a bit,” Bierhoff said. “It is important to invest in football and not just in transfers.” The Germans, who play Brazil four days after tomorrow’s match with Spain, have been drawn in Group F at the World Cup in Russia starting in June, along with Mexico, South Korea and Sweden.Kahn casts doubt on Neuer’s chancesFormer German international Oliver Kahn yesterday cast doubt on Manuel Neuer’s participation at the World Cup this summer, calling the Bayern Munich goalkeeper’s battle with injury a “precarious situation.”Neuer has been out for six months after fracturing his foot and former goalkeeper Kahn said in an interview with TV channel Sport1 that Neuer’s continued absence might eventually force Germany coach Joachim Loew to leave the 31-year-old out of the 23-man squad destined for Russia. “Eventually it becomes difficult for coach,” he said ahead of Germany’s friendly with Spain yesterday. “I think that he needs a certain period of time in the lead-up [to the World Cup]. He should [first] play one or two games in the Bundesliga.”German team manager Oliver Bierhoff effectively set Neuer a fitness deadline. “We hope and wish that he will be 100 per cent when we name the squad,” he said. The provisional squad will be announced by Loew on May 15, giving Neuer just under two months to prove his fitness.Bierhoff welcomed Neuer’s decision to join up with the squad in Dusseldorf ahead of the Spain match. “Everyone was delighted that Manuel was back,” he said. “I’m still positive about things – so is he. There is no pressure from our side.”And Neuer received support from Bayern and Germany teammate Thomas Mueller. “You can never write off Manu,” he said. Should Neuer not make the finals, Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona would likely fill his gloves.Meanwhile German football federation DFB president Reinhard Grindel says although Loew has left out Mario Goetze from his 26-strong squad for tomorrow’s match against Spain and Tuesday’s game against Brazil, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder should not be written off for the World Cup.“Joachim Loew writes no one off. The door is closed to no one, and that goes for Mario Goetze,” Grindel said in Dortmund. Loew has said Goetze, scorer of the winning goal against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final, is “at the moment not in the form we would  wish.”Grindel said Loew had a big choice of players in attacking midfield positions and that currently some were in better form than Goetze.However he added: “I know that Goetze is greatly appreciated by Loew and that he has not shut the door on his World Cup prospects.”