Bayern’s Boateng out for ‘longer time’ with muscle injury

BERLIN (Reuters) – Bayern Munich central defender Jerome Boateng will be sidelined for “a longer period of time” after sustaining an adductor muscle injury in Friday’s 2-1 win at Hamburg SV, the German champions said on Saturday.

Boateng was taken off early in the second half after picking up the injury unchallenged in the first match back after the winter break.

“At the restart of the season the central defender suffered a muscle injury in his left adductor and will now need to take a break for a longer period of time,” Bayern said.

Bayern, chasing a record fourth successive league title, are top of the Bundesliga, 11 points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund who play Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Saturday.

The Bavarians are also through to the Champions League round of 16 where they face Italy’s Juventus next month.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)