Bayern Munich have confirmed that defender Javi Martinez will miss up to a month after undergoing knee surgery.
The Spaniard was a last-minute exclusion from Bayern's side which beat Hoffenheim 2-0 on Sunday.
Although his club shrugged off the gravity of his injury, tests confirmed he had damaged his meniscus and he will be out for up to four weeks after undergoing surgery in Barcelona on Tuesday morning.
He will therefore miss the first leg of Bayern's Champions League last-16 clash at Juventus on February 23.
Martinez joins Jerome Boateng on the sidelines, with the latter not due to return for around three months.
The Bavarians responded to the two injuries on transfer deadline day by drafting in Serdar Tasci on loan from Spartak Moscow.
"We're happy to have been able to bring in a player like Serdar Tasci at such short notice," said Bayern's director of sport Matthias Sammer. "His quality and experience will be an immediate help to us."
Source: PA-WIRE
