Bayern Munich midfielder Corentin Tolisso will be out of action for at least three months after having surgery on Friday for a muscle injury he picked up in training, coach Hansi Flick said.
The France international was injured in training on Thursday while attempting to shoot on goal with no other player involved, and he is expected to miss most of the remainder of the season. The injury could also cast a shadow over his participation at this year's European Championship starting in June.
"He has already been operated (on). It is a serious muscle injury in his left thigh, a muscle tear. We were all shocked in training," Flick told a news conference. "We estimate it (his absence) will be three months. I hope that he heals quickly. He was attempting to shoot in front of goal and then he hobbled off the pitch and was feeling sharp pain."
Tolisso's career has been ravaged by injuries and he missed several months late last season and again earlier in the current campaign with an ankle injury and muscle problems respectively. "He had just got back into action. He needs his rhythm and was finding it now again. It is a pity," Flick said.
"Now it's about looking ahead. We will support him in the coming weeks and months because he will need this. It is almost a tragedy if you look at his (injury) history."
The 26-year-old is the latest Bayern player sidelined after Thomas Mueller and Benjamin Pavard went into quarantine a few days ago after testing positive for Covid-19. Leon Goretzka and Javi Martinez only returned after their own positive coronavirus tests a few days ago.
Bayern, who travel to in-form Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga today, are five points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig. They visit Lazio in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg next week.

Atletico's Carrasco doubtful for Chelsea game, says Simeone
Atletico Madrid forward Yannick Carrasco could miss their Champions League last-16 first leg against Chelsea in Bucharest next week due to injury, coach Diego Simeone said. The Belgian joins a growing absentee list for the Liga leaders and will definitely not be fit to face Levante today as Atleti seek to preserve their six-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid.
"Yannick's got a knock that he picked up against Granada (on Feb. 13) and played through it against Levante (on Wednesday), and that's why he was substituted when he was — we wanted to protect him," Simeone told a news conference. "Unfortunately he's still got a problem and we'll see how it develops over the next few days."
Hector Herrera, Jose Maria Gimenez, Sime Vrsaljko and Geoffrey Kondogbia also did not train . Meanwhile Saul Niguez, Stefan Savic and Kieran Trippier are all suspended for today's game. In a quirk of the fixture list, Atletico also played Levante in midweek in a re-arranged fixture, drawing 1-1 away.
They have drawn two of their last three La Liga games, which has offered the chasing pack encouragement in the title race. There was better news for Simeone with Thomas Lemar returning to training following a negative Covid-19 test.
The club are waiting to see if January signing Moussa Dembele tests negative before naming the squad today. Atletico host Chelsea in the Romanian capital on Tuesday due to Covid-19 travel restrictions in Spain that prevent the English club's players entering the country.