National coach Hansi Flick believes goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will make a successful comeback, but does not want to give a guarantee of a regular place.

National coach Hansi Flick expects Manuel Neuer to be back at a top level when he returns. “I am convinced that when he is fit again, he will get back to his old level,” Flick said in an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”.

The captain of German record football champions FC Bayern Munich is working on his comeback in rehab after breaking his leg. “Things are going well with Manu. We met briefly in Munich at Bayern’s match against Leipzig. He is now a bit earlier than originally expected,” reported Flick (58).

However, he said it was not automatically clear that the 37-year-old Neuer would also become number one and DFB captain again. “We will decide that when the time comes. Manuel Neuer has shaped the goalkeeping game for well over ten years. He is an exception as a goalkeeper, just as he is as a person,” said Flick, adding: “But he has to show his performance – and he knows that. In any case, we have the least problems at the goalkeeper position.” With Neuer out of action, FC Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen (31) is the DFB’s number one goalkeeper.