FC Bayern are heading east this summer. After two friendlies in Bavaria (against Wolfratshausen and Erlangen) and the Telekom Cup on 15 July, Germany's record champions will travel to China and Singapore for this year's Audi Summer Tour a week on Sunday (16 July). FCB return to Munich twelve days later on 28 July.
Carlo Ancelotti will take a quality squad to the Far East for one of the highlights of pre-season. At the moment, a total of 18 first teamers are available to the FCB head coach including Germany World Cup winners Thomas Müller, Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng plus top forwards Robert Lewandowski, Frank Ribéry and Arjen Robben. The squad will also include several Reserve and U19 players.
Manuel Neuer will not travel to Asia. This week, the FC Bayern keeper has dispensed with his crutches following his broken metatarsal at the end of April and is about to take the next important step in his rehab training. However, the decision has been made that Neuer will continue his recovery programme in the ideal environment at Sabener Strasse to speed up his return to the training ground.
“Everything's going to plan. I'm aiming to be fit for the first game of the season against Bayer Leverkusen. I'm going to work hard every day to achieve that," declared Neuer. In addition to the world's number one keeper, the FC Bayern players at the Confed Cup (Joshua Kimmich, Sebastian Rudy, Niklas Süle, Arturo Vidal) plus the U21 European champion Serge Gnabry will not travel to the Far East either. At the time of the Audi Summer Tour, the quintet will be enjoying a well-deserved rest.
Reserve goalkeeper Sven Ulreich also stays in Germany to continue his rehab training in Munich following an elbow injury.
FCB squad for the Audi Summer Tour 2017:
Alaba, Bernat, Boateng, Coman, Costa, Friedl, Früchtl, Hummels, Lewandowski, Martínez, Müller, Rafinha, Ribéry, Robben, Sanches, Starke, Thiago, Tolisso
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