Neuer, who was part of the Germany team that crashed out of the World Cup in the first round, said he had sustained a lower right leg fracture while on a skiing holiday.

The club said the 36-year-old had undergone successful surgery but would not play again this season.

The Bundesliga resumes on Jan 20 following the World Cup and Germany’s traditional winter football break.

Neuer is the second Bayern player to be ruled out for months, after France international Lucas Hernandez tore a knee ligament in the defending champions’ 4-1 win over Australia in their World Cup Group D match last month.

Bayern, top in the Bundesliga, face Paris St Germain in the Champions League knockout stage in February.

Bayern may call on Sven Ulreich, 34, who they signed from VfB Stuttgart in 2015 as a back-up to Neuer and who performed well for the club when the latter was injured in 2018.