Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich full-back David Alaba is set to miss out on Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Red Star Belgrade after picking up a thigh injury, the club confirmed Sunday.
Alaba, 27, was pulled out of the starting line-up just before kick-off in Bayern’s 1-1 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday after getting injured in the warm-up.
On Sunday, the club announced that the Austrian international had torn a muscle in his left thigh, and said he would be out of action “for the time being”.
Alaba, who won the Champions League with Bayern in 2013, has become a senior figure in the Bayern dressing room following the departures of veteran players such as Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben last season.
His absence forced Niko Kovac to shuffle his defence as Bayern missed a chance to go top of the Bundesliga against Leipzig on Saturday.
New signing Lucas Hernandez filled in for Alaba on the left while Jerome Boateng took Hernandez’ position in central defence.
