Xherdan Shaqiri out a minimum of two weeks with thigh injury

The 22-year-old Swiss international will be sidelined for  two weeks due to a thigh injury he sustained in Friday's World Cup qualifying match against Albania. The injury occurred sometime during the first half of Switzerland's 2-1 win on Friday and while Shaqiri was withdrawn shortly after the half resumed  and he'd put his national side up 1-0, it's encouraging to note that the injury was not severe enough to require immediate withdrawal.

The Swiss FA has released him back to Bayern Munich where team doctor, Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt will conduct further tests.

While it is good to know that injury did not require immediate withdrawal from the match, the decision by Shaqiri and the Swiss coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld to continue to play could have some serious repercussions as this season progresses. Leg injuries have a habit of becoming recurring, especially when players decide to play on them. However, for the next several weeks Bayern are even more shorthanded in the midfield with the continued absence of Javi Martinez and Thiago. Luckily, with the return of Mario Götze last week, this isn't going to be quite the problem it would have been but coming out of the international break into a 3 match week is going to be cause for alarm given the further reduction in depth in Bayern's midfield.