De Ligt’s injury is worse than originally thought

The German side Bayern Munich received a souvenir apart from the bad result against Saarbrucken in the DFB Pokal. Their mainstay defender, Matthijs De Ligt, is threatened with being sidelined for an indefinite period after suffering a serious injury. The Dutch defender was forced to be taken off the field half an hour before the match after suffering an injury to his right knee. Following scans, Bayern announced that the 24-year-old player had suffered a partial ligament tear in his right knee, which could require him to undergo lengthy rehabilitation.

In a match where things didn't go the Bavarians' way, as they suffered a shock defeat to a German third-division side, the news of De Ligt's injury was a major blow for them. De Light has endured a difficult season, only starting five games in all competitions after suffering a dip in form. This latest injury only adds to his suffering. The absence of the former Juve defender is also a big blow for the reigning German champions, as it highlights the lack of depth at the back. Kim Min-jae is the only reliable centre-back option at the moment, with Dayot Upamecano also absent due to a hamstring injury.

De Ligt's injury was confirmed directly by Bayern in a statement on the club's official website: "Matthijs De Ligt partially tore the ligament in his right knee joint during FC Bayern's 2-1 defeat at the DFB Pokal in Saarbrucken. "This is the result of a scan carried out by the club's medical department on Thursday. Therefore, the player will miss FC Bayern's upcoming matches." The Bavarians will face their main rivals, Borussia Dortmund, on Saturday in the Bundesliga and then host Turkish side Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Bayern, who have lost injured centre-back Dayot Upamecano and will also be without suspended defensive midfielder Joshua Kimmich against Dortmund, are currently second in the Bundesliga, two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.