Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has given Germany a major World Cup boost by being included in the Bayern Munich squad for Saturday’s DFB-Pokal final for the first time in eight months.

Neuer has not played since suffering a broken metatarsal in September, but was still included in Joachim Low’s squad for the World Cup in Russia.

He returned to training with Bayern last month and on Friday the Bundesliga champions confirmed he would be in the squad for the match with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern said in a statement on their official website: “Perhaps the most beautiful news of the day – Manuel Neuer has made the trip to Berlin and will be in the squad on Saturday for the first time since September 2017.”

The 32-year-old is likely to be on the bench against Eintracht, with Sven Ulreich continuing in goal.

His return to fitness is a timely boost for Low a month out from Germany’s first match of the World Cup against Mexico.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes sounded a very positive note over Neuer’s fitness.

“Manu has absolutely no pain,” Heynckes told a press conference in quotes reported on the Bayern Twitter feed. “He is in fantastic physical shape and will be an option tomorrow. But he won’t start.”