Manuel Neuer risks missing out in the Wporld Cup tournament

Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer celebrates during the semi-final football match between Brazil and Germany at The Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. [Photo: Courtesy]

Manuel Neuer has just one possible match left to prove his fitness following a foot fracture before Germany name their World Cup squad in a fortnight.

The Germany goalkeeper has been sidelined since September and although he is back in training with Bayern Munich, head coach Jupp Heynckes has again left him out for yesterday’s Bundesliga match at bottom side Cologne.

Germany boss Joachim Loew unveils his provisional World Cup squad on May 15 leaving Neuer with only the final league game of the season, at home to Stuttgart on May 12, as a chance to prove he is fit.

“You always have to be careful. This is an injury that has been fractured two or three times, so you can not make another mistake,” warned Heynckes.

Loew has said he plans to take Neuer, 32, to Germany’s pre-World Cup camp in north Italy at the end of the month, but time is running out. “There is no deadline as to when he has to play,” Germany team boss Oliver Bierhoff told magazine Kicker.

“The real deadline is June 4, when we have to finalise our 23-man squad.”

Germany play pre-World Cup friendlies away to Austria in Klagenfurt on June 2 and at home to Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen on June 8.

Heynckes says that with an eye on Russia Neuer has “great ambitions”