Neuer Said He Had Pain Walking 'Every Day' Before Bayern's Win at Atlético — Four Days Later, the Foot Problem Has Become a Partial Tendon Tear

Manuel Neuer was honest about it after Bayern Munich's 2-0 win at Atlético Madrid last Tuesday. "I had pain walking every day," the 40-year-old told DAZN, adding that he had felt it again that same morning when he got out of bed. Four days later, the foot gave way at Mainz. On Sunday, Bayern confirmed a partial tendon tear in Neuer's right foot and said he will be out "for the time being," without giving a timeline.

German outlet Sport1 reported that Bayern are bracing for roughly six to eight weeks without him, which would rule him out for the rest of the Bundesliga's first half of the season. The club has not confirmed that estimate.

Neuer's foot problem is not new. Bayern announced a persistent tendon irritation in his foot in October, and he missed the wins over Freiburg (3-1) and Magdeburg (6-1) and the 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund while Jonas Urbig, his designated successor, played in goal.

His return at the Metropolitano was closer than it looked. Neuer said he spent the morning of the game in 14-degree Celsius water on a rooftop terrace, roughly 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and that it only became clear during the warmup that he could start. "It really wasn't an easy situation for me in the last few days and weeks," he said, thanking Bayern's medical staff. He kept a clean sheet, only his fourth of the season, and the appearance made him the German player with the most Champions League games, at 164.

Saturday at Mainz was supposed to be another milestone. At 40 years and 225 days, Neuer became the oldest player in Bayern's Bundesliga history, passing goalkeeper Bernd Dreher, whose last game for the club came at 40 years and 198 days on May 19, 2007, also against Mainz. It was also Neuer's 550th Bundesliga appearance; he is only the fifth player to reach that number.

Shortly before halftime, with Bayern leading 1-0, Neuer jumped for a Nadiem Amiri set-piece delivery, missed it after a mix-up with Jonathan Tah, and Mainz put the ball into the empty net. The goal was ruled out for offside, but Neuer stayed down, took off his sock and shoe for treatment on his right foot and was replaced by Urbig in the 44th minute. Bayern held on to win 2-1.

"It's the same problem he had before," sporting director Max Eberl said afterward. "It's resurfaced now. We hope it's not too serious." According to Sport1 and Focus, it was the fourth time this calendar year that Neuer had to come off injured during a game.

The diagnosis has reopened a question Bayern have been happy to put off. Former Germany midfielder Steffen Freund said on Sport1's Doppelpass that Urbig should be made No. 1 now, arguing a goalkeeper who isn't fit shouldn't be playing through pain. Ex-Bayern player Dietmar Hamann, speaking on Sky, made the point that changing goalkeepers every couple of weeks gives a defense no security. Eberl did not engage with that line of questioning in the mixed zone.

Bayern go into the international break level on points with Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga, and they have been doing it without head coach Vincent Kompany, who collapsed at the club's training ground a little more than two weeks ago and was taken to the hospital. Assistant Aaron Danks has run the team since. Honorary president Uli Hoeneß told Bavarian broadcaster BR that Kompany should be back on the bench "in two, three weeks," after the break.

The schedule doesn't wait. Bayern host Köln on Friday, Nov. 20 (2:30 p.m. ET), go to Lille in the Champions League on Nov. 25 and visit Hamburg three days later. If the Sport1 timeline holds, Urbig starts all of them, and Neuer, 52 games short of Charly Körbel's Bundesliga appearance record of 602, faces the begining of another long climb back at 40.