The Bundesliga side’s win over Bayer Leverkusen has come at the cost of serious injuries for two of their star midfielders
Corentin Tolisso will spend several months on the sidelines after tearing his anterior cruciate knee ligament in Bayern Munich’s win over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, with the club also confirming that full-back Rafinha is set to miss “a number of weeks” with ankle ligament damage.
Tolisso was forced off with the knee injury just before the break, having scored to pull Bayern level after Leverkusen had opened the scoring from the spot early on.
For Rafinha, a brutal challenge from Karim Bellarabi was the cause of the injury, with Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness calling the tackle “an assault” and claiming there should be a three-month ban on the 28-year-old.
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The injury news will come as a brutal blow to Bayern, who moved back to the top of the Bundesliga table with the win but now face an extended period without two proven midfield stars.
“Coco does not look so good,” Arjen Robben, who scored to put Bayern in front, said after the match. “You always have to hope that it is not that bad after all.
“He’s a good player and we’ve said that many times.
“We need all the players, especially in such a phase. That’s very bitter, especially for himself.”
France team-mate Benjamin Mendy, who has had injury struggles of his own over the last year, also sent well-wishes to Tolisso, who now faces and extended time of the sideline and a tough recovery.
The injuries come at a bad time for the Bundesliga side, who open their Champions League campaign against Benfica mid-week ahead of a showdown with Schalke in league play next Saturday.
Though the match against Leverkusen was the first start of the Bundesliga season for Tolisso and Rafinha entered the match as a substitute, the club’s depth will now be tested as the games come thick and fast over the next two months.