Leverkusen comes to the top game
Tuchel talks about Neuer setback and Kimmich concerns
September 14, 2023, 4:41 p.m
The international returnees are just starting to arrive when the Bundesliga is already asking for the top game: league leaders Leverkusen are challenging FC Bayern. Joshua Kimmich is in danger of being out there, while another DFB star is probably fit. Coach Thomas Tuchel also talks about Manuel Neuer.
Before the first top game of the season, Thomas Tuchel cleared the air. In addition to the discussion with the bosses after the transfer controversy surrounding dream player Palhinha, the Bayern Munich coach “tidyed up his office and desk,” he reported cheerfully, “that was necessary.” Now Tuchel is going into the first few weeks of truth “with a clear head and desire” with the Bundesliga summit on Friday (8.30 p.m./DAZN and in the live ticker at ntv.de) against Bayer Leverkusen.
It’s the duel of the first against the second, both of them used the first three games. The constellation is not new; to be precise, FC Bayern and Bayer have already met eight times when they were both first and second in the table. And the Werkself only won the first time, in 1986 (0:3). However, the date on Friday evening comes at an inopportune time for both clubs, as the national players only have a short break after returning from international missions.
Tuchel primarily used the international break to clear up a few annoying issues. However, he did not want to comment on the discussion with his superiors, only this much: that his squad is too thin – this opinion “will not change,” he said, slightly annoyed. In addition, they recently planned the rest of the first half of the season and “talked about the winter – about all the things you don’t have time for in the English weeks.” And about Leverkusen.
Tuchel praises Leverkusen
The cleverly pepped up Werkself got off to an impressive start. With a six named Granit And with a coach who would (at some point) also look good to the Munich team. “Very good team, very good coach, very homogeneous and stable at a high level,” said Tuchel.
It is inconvenient for him that he may have to do without his midfield boss Joshua Kimmich. He had already missed the German national team’s friendly against France (2-1) on Tuesday due to muscular problems. “Jo Kimmich is questionable, he came back from the national team injured,” reported Tuchel. Konrad Laimer would be available as a replacement.
Manuel Neuer was already “very close”
Jamal Musiala, on the other hand, should be back in the squad, but France hero Thomas Müller should play from the start. Musiala would not have played against Japan on Saturday (1:4) anyway, and he missed the test against France. “He had slight problems in his back, he has been training well and pain-free for the last two days. If it stays that way today, he will definitely be in the squad,” said Tuchel. The league looks different for Manuel Neuer, who still seems to be a long way from making a comeback.
“We hope we can see him on the pitch before the next international break,” said Tuchel. The next international matches will take place after the first week of October. Neuer, who has been out injured since December, recently had to take a step back due to calf problems. At the end of August, he completed a session with his goalkeeper colleagues for the first time since his serious skiing accident. “Manu was very close and had a bit of a calf problem,” said Tuchel. However, the calf problems on the leg that was not injured in the accident are “absolutely understandable” and only “minimal”.
The 37-year-old Neuer is continuing his running training and is continuing to work hard. “We exercised caution and didn’t force anything. He was already very advanced. The plan now is that he will start goalkeeper training again next week and make an attempt to get back into team training the week after next,” said Tuchel. It is impossible to predict exactly when he will be back in a game between the posts.