Ankle injury sidelines Bayern ace Thiago

BAYERN Munich playmaker Thiago Alcantara will be out for several weeks after suffering an ankle injury in its 2-1 German Cup second-round victory over amateur side SV Roedinghausen on Tuesday, the club said yesterday.

The Spain international, who had played in all but one of its 15 matches in all competitions this season, had to go off in the 75th minute after tearing a ligament and suffering further damage in his right ankle following a foul.

“Bayern will be without Thiago for several weeks,” the club said in a statement after the player’s medical examination.

Thiago joins injured world champion Corentin Tolisso and Kingsley Coman on the sidelines, with the German champion having a busy schedule in the coming weeks.

Bayern, second in the Bundesliga, takes on AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League next week before facing current German league leader Borussia Dortmund a few days later.

Bayern has won its last four games but has looked jaded in recent weeks and labored in Osnabrueck against Roedinghausen’s part-timers.

Bayern was 2-0 up inside 13 minutes as Sandro Wagner scored an early goal and Thomas Mueller converted a penalty, but lost its way after Renato Sanches fired a spot-kick off the woodwork after 23 minutes.

Roedinghausen pulled a goal back just after the break and had chances to equalize.