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Injured again: Leon Goretzka, here in the international match against Hungary in June
Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Despite a "difficult situation" for Leon Goretzka at the start of the World Cup season, national team captain Manuel Neuer is not worried about his colleague who has just had the surgery.
"Especially at the beginning of a season, when you're preparing, you naturally want to stay healthy and build everything up for the first half of the season, the whole season and the World Cup.
And of course that's a setback for a player," said Neuer.
Goretzka himself said on Instagram that after an "initial shock" he was "very good" again.
The club previously announced that Goretzka had found an abnormality in his left knee and had it removed arthroscopically.
"The operation went according to plan and was successful," it said.
Bayern did not say how long Goretzka would be out.
The 27-year-old will be absent for a few weeks.
The midfielder was sidelined from December 2021 to March 2022 due to a knee injury.
Goretzka has new competition at FC Bayern
The timing for the often injured Goretzka is delicate.
On November 23, Germany will play its first World Cup game against Japan.
Goretzka has to get fit by then and come up with his playing times, which is probably no longer as natural at Bayern as it has been in previous years.
The record champions signed Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax Amsterdam to his position during this transfer period, and Leipzig's Konrad Laimer is still under discussion.
In the national team, Goretzka is expected to fight with İlkay Gündoğan for a place in midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich.
"Anyone who knows Leon knows that he has the right attitude, that he also has to be clever and clever to listen to his body," said Neuer.
“He's a strong guy and strong character – and he'll come back strong.
I don't worry about him then."
Before the World Cup from November 21 to December 18, 2022 in Qatar, the German national team still has two games to play in the Nations League.
On September 23, Hansi Flick's selection will face Hungary in Leipzig.
The game in England takes place three days later.
kjo/dpa