Bayern's Alaba set for knee operation
Munich - FC Bayern München's David Alaba could miss the rest of the 2014/15 Hinrunde after suffering knee ligament damage in the Bavarians' win over AS Roma on Wednesday.
Double whammy
The German record titleholders confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the Austrian international will require surgery after sustaining a partial tear of the medial ligament and damaging the meniscus in his right knee during Tuesday's
at the Allianz Arena.
The 22-year-old has been a permanent fixture in Pep Guardiola's side so far this season, making 16 appearances in all competitions to help the 2013/14 champions reach the Bundesliga summit and qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League with two games to spare. "It's a very bitter pill for me to swallow," Alaba told
fcbayern.de
on Thursday. "Things have been going so well for the team and for myself recently. After the operation, I'll begin my rehabilitation as soon as the doctors give me the green light. With the support of our medical team I hope to be back out on the pitch as soon as possible."
Though summer signing Juan Bernat should provide more than adequete cover in Alaba's absence, the loss of one of the first names in Bayern's starting line-up was not lost on Guardiola. "David is a complete football player," explained the Spanish tactician. "He can play in a variety of positions. In him, we're losing an outstanding footballer. His flexibility is incredibly important for the way we play." Bayern will already be without Claudio Pizarro in the coming weeks after the Peruvian striker
in training earlier on Wednesday, leaving Robert Lewandowski as Guardiola's only recognised striker.
