Lengthy lay-off for stricken Götze

FC Bayern have suffered a severe injury setback on the news that Mario Götze will be out of action for 10 to 12 weeks. The 23-year-old was diagnosed on Friday with a ruptured muscle tendon in the groin, sustained while playing for Germany in the world champions’ 1-0 defeat away to Ireland the previous evening. Götze will initially be treated by the German FA (DFB) medical unit in Leipzig, where the national squad has gathered for the final Euro 2016 qualifier on Sunday.

Götze, who limped off after 35 minutes of the clash in Dublin, has played a significant role in Bayern’s superb start to the current campaign, appearing in 11 of the 12 matches to date and scoring four goals. Coach Pep Guardiola must now compensate for the loss of the versatile forward in the upcoming Bundesliga and Champions League fixtures and the DFB Cup second round trip to VfL Wolfsburg.