While facing the risk of missing out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to injury, a Germany star has now revealed that he has undergone three skin cancer operations on his face.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is in a race against time to be fit for the upcoming World Cup, which would be his fourth showing at the tournament after he made in his tournament debut in South Africa in 2010.
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The experienced shot-stopper missed the Bavarians' past three UEFA Champions League matches due to a shoulder injury that has also kept him out of the team's past three Bundesliga games.
However, following the German giants' victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday, head coach Julian Nagelsmann revealed that the trusted No.1 could make a return to action this weekend, against Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
While Neuer has had a football injury to worry about, he has also had to deal with a health-threatening situation off the field in recent months.
According to Goal, Neuer has revealed that he was diagnosed with skin cancer on his face, and has completed several operations to treat the condition.
"We both have a very personal history of skin diseases," Neuer said in a press statement for the launch of a skincare product called NewKee he has produced with tennis star Angelique Kerber.
"In Angelique's case it's sun-related hyperpigmentation, and in my case it's skin cancer on my face, which I've already had to have operated on three times.
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"That's why we also took special care not to make any compromises when it comes to sun protection: Because I train outside all the time and also like to spend my free time in nature."
Speculation regarding the player having a possible illness first arose in December 2021, when he was spotted in training with a plaster on his face, following one of the surgeries he underwent to treat the skin cancer. It is understood the scar is still visible on his face today.
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