Three goalkeepers from Bayern Munich, Manuel Neuer, Jonas Urbig, and Sven Ulreich, are injured. This unusual situation could open the door for 16-year-old Leonard Prescott to join the first team. He is expected to take the goal in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday against Atalanta. What a way to debut directly in the first team! Prescott will be exactly 16 years and 176 days old. This would make him four years younger than Neuer at his debut and two years younger than the youngest goalkeeper in Bayern's history so far – Sven Scheuer, who played for the club in 1989 at the age of 18. At the same time, Prescott would become the youngest goalkeeper in Champions League history and the eighth youngest player ever. At the top of this ranking is Max Dowman, who debuted for Arsenal in November at the age of 15. He is followed by Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund) and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona). So what pushes him to play against Atalanta? According to coach Vincent Kompany, Neuer (muscle tear) will only return after the international break in early April. Ulreich, on the other hand, suffered a muscle tear during the 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen and will be out for about six weeks. In theory, the third goalkeeper, Jonas Urbig, could be ready for Wednesday's game. However, the 22-year-old goalkeeper suffered a concussion in the 6-1 victory in the first match against Atalanta, and the club will not risk his health, especially when the outcome of the round of 16 seems clear. Next in line should be Leon Klanac (19 years old) from the reserve team, but he has been sidelined for some time with a thigh injury. In the Regional League, his place is taken by Janis Bertl (19). However, it seems that Kompany values the under-19 team goalkeeper, Prescott, more. He was the third option for the first match against Atalanta and was on the bench against Leverkusen. Prescott was born in New York in 2009, the son of a German mother and an American father. He grew up in Berlin and played in the youth ranks of Union. In 2023, he moved to Bayern, skipping the under-17 team, and since the summer, the 1.96-meter giant has been guarding the goal for the under-19 team. Statistically speaking, his performance is quite weak: in 16 matches, he has kept only one clean sheet and conceded 30 goals, but the team qualified for the final stage of four teams as winners of preliminary group E and is currently in fourth place in group C, behind RB Leipzig, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Kaiserslautern. Prescott has already represented Germany's national teams at under-16 and under-17 levels. However, he also holds American citizenship and could theoretically play for the U.S. national team. His contract with Bayern is valid until 2027.
Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer remains central to this story.
Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer remains central to this story.
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