Football Briefs: Germany's Neuer doubtful for World Cup

News of all that's transpired on and off the football field

Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer will not play in the German Cup final, coach Jupp Heynckes said on Wednesday as the Germany goalkeeper races to recover from a long-term foot injury for next month's World Cup in Russia.

Neuer, a World Cup winner in 2014, broke a bone in his foot back in September and has not played since, putting his fitness for the tournament in doubt.

Neuer will be missing when champions Bayern take on VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga finale on Saturday and also against Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup final later this month.

Neuer, who has been replaced in the Bayern team by reserve keeper Sven Ulreich, only recently returned to training but had to take another break for a few days.

"Manuel will neither play against (VfB) Stuttgart nor in the Cup final," Heynckes told sports magazine Kicker.

If picked for the preliminary Germany squad on May 15, Neuer will only have two friendly internationals against Austria and Saudi Arabia to prepare for the finals starting on June 14.

Germany have been drawn in Group F with Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.

Barca's Roberto handed four-game ban for striking Marcelo

Barcelona defender Sergi Roberto will miss the rest of the Liga season and the first match of the next campaign after being given a four-game ban for striking Real Madrid's Marcelo in last Sunday's tension-filled 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced the ban for "assaulting another player" in its weekly disciplinary statement on its official website.

Roberto was given a straight red card in first-half injury time for the incident with the Brazilian during an off-the-ball tussle on the edge of Barca's area.

Referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez wrote in his report on the game that the player had been sent off for "striking an opponent with his arm with excessive force while the ball was not near enough to be in dispute".

Roberto was already banned for Wednesday's game at home to Villarreal and will now miss the final games at Levante and at home to Real Sociedad as champions Barcelona bid to become the first team to end a Liga season without defeat since 1933.

The Spain international will also be suspended for the first Liga game of next season when Barca begin their title defence.

Sunday's 'Clasico' saw a total of eight players earn yellow cards in addition to Roberto's straight red and witnessed angry confrontations on the pitch between Real captain Sergio Ramos and Barcelona forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.