Germany keeper Manuel Neuer ruled out of Northern Ireland World Cup qualifier

The Bayern Munich stopper has been sidelined until 2018 after picking up the injury in training on Monday.

The injury is a recurrence of the hairline fracture to a metatarsal in his left foot that he picked up during the Champions League quarter-final second-leg defeat to Real Madrid in April.

The 31-year-old underwent successful surgery on Tuesday morning and has had a plate fitted - which will rule him out for four months.

Northern Ireland are set to welcome the world champions and Group C leaders to Windsor Park on October 5.

Barcelona 'keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who played in Germany's recent wins over San Marino and Czech Republic, is likely to be between the sticks when Michael O'Neill's men go head-to-head with Joachim Löw's side.

Neuer, 31, hasn't played a competitive game for his country since the 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in Hanover last October.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club's official website: "Manuel Neuer has sustained another injury and we're incredibly sorry for him.

"The operation went perfectly, which is the most important thing for now. We and our captain are now looking to the future. Manuel will be back to his previous best and available to us again in January."