Berlin: Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has dismissed concerns over the calf injury he suffered in Bayern Munich’s shock 3-0 league defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
With the 2014 World Cup just two months away, there was some concern when the German number one was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by 20-year-old Lukas Raeder at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Neuer was suffering from tightness in his calf and after the game the 28-year-old confirmed that the substitution was purely precautionary.
With the club targeting a second successive treble of European, league and cup titles this season, Neuer said he should be fit to face Kaiserslautern in the last four of the German Cup in midweek.
“We didn’t want to take any risks in the second half,” he said. “It’s important that I’m able to play on Wednesday.”
Raeder was making his Bundesliga debut for Bayern and he conceded just four minutes after entering the field when Marco Reus put Dortmund 2-0 ahead.
The youngster’s evening went from bad to worse when Jonas Hofmann hammered Dortumnd’s third goal past him only seven minutes later.
