FCB announced on Saturday afternoon that Neuer will miss out through injury. Persistent tendon irritation in his foot has forced the 40-year-old to take another break.
The foot problem had already kept Neuer out of last weekend's 6-1 home win against RB Leipzig and, before that, the Champions League match at Viking Stavanger. He returned to the FCB goal for the 2-2 Champions League clash against Arsenal during the week, but now must sit out again.
Jonas Urbig will deputise for him, as he did against Leipzig and Stavanger. FCB are grooming the 23-year-old as Neuer's successor, and he has already made four appearances in all competitions this season. He has also played two internationals for Germany. Bayern Munich need not worry about a lack of match sharpness in goal.
Who else are Bayern Munich missing besides Manuel Neuer?
Away to third-placed Freiburg, who have made a strong start, the champions will also be without several other notable players. Midfield linchpin Joshua Kimmich is absent because of a bereavement in the family, as he was against Arsenal. Attacker Luis Diaz (a small muscle fibre tear), playmaker Jamal Musiala (a thigh muscle injury) and centre-back Min-jae Kim (a muscle strain) are also unavailable through injury.
The head coach will also miss the trip to Freiburg, along with several regular starters. Vincent Kompany collapsed at the training ground on Friday while watching a session involving the second team. He was then taken to a Munich hospital and has been undergoing examinations there since.
Getty ImagesAt a press conference on Saturday morning, board member for sport Max Eberl confirmed that Kompany's condition was stable. It remains unclear when the 40-year-old, who had recently been suffering from a severe viral infection, can return. "Vinnie will be given all the time he needs; we won't set any time frames. We have to find out: WHAT and HOW. But we're talking about weeks, and that must be clear to all of us," Eberl explained.
Assistant coach Aaron Danks will stand in for Kompany in Freiburg. The 43-year-old Englishman arrived at Säbener Straße alongside Kompany in 2024.