Vincent Kompany had no choice before the interval at the MEWA Arena in Mainz on Saturday. Neuer felt the discomfort in his right foot return early in the game against Mainz, came off before halftime, and tests confirmed a partial tendon tear in the right foot.
Sky Sport Germany put the layoff at around six weeks, a timeline that makes Neuer’s return before the end of 2026 highly unlikely. Sporting director Max Eberl acknowledged that the previous problem in the same foot had resurfaced.
Urbig, 23, now moves into the starting role Bayern had already earmarked for him next season. He takes over without an experienced number two behind him.
Dahmen top of a three-man shortlist
The summer 2027 planning has sharpened as a result. German reporting has Bayern working through a short list of Dahmen, Fulham’s Bernd Leno, and Marvin Schwäbe of 1. FC Köln as the man to serve behind Urbig once Neuer steps away.
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Dahmen is the clear preference. The 28-year-old Augsburg goalkeeper has been placed at the top of the list, and fits the brief Eberl’s recruitment team has drawn up: Bundesliga-tested, in his prime, and off contract next summer.
He was also recently nominated to the senior Germany squad by head coach Jürgen Klopp for the November international break, a signal that his profile sits in the national conversation and not just in the Bayern scouting database.
Schwäbe is one step behind. The 31-year-old Köln keeper is also out of contract in summer 2027 and viewed as a fallback if Dahmen proves unavailable. Leno, who left Arsenal for Fulham in 2022, is the English-based alternative.
Nick Pope was on the list, then off it
Newcastle United’s Nick Pope was on the radar for a short while. The 34-year-old has been overtaken by Lukas Hornicek at St James’ Park and is on course to become a free agent next summer, a profile that fit Bayern’s search for an experienced deputy.
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That interest cooled quickly. Bayern insider Christian Falk reported on 9 October that Pope is “now no longer really considered an option” after conversations during the international break, with the club now preferring the three Bundesliga-based names.
No experienced deputy for Urbig yet
The internal brief has not changed for months: Bayern want a proven, loyal number two who accepts the role behind Urbig. Dahmen, Leno and Schwäbe all fit that description, and none of them has been in direct talks with Munich so far, according to the German reports.
Neuer, 40, is expected to miss the international break and up to six weeks of club football while he recovers from the tendon tear.
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