Thiago Alcantara knee injury: Midfielder will miss Pokal Final and World Cup

After a season fraught with long term injury, 23-year old Spanish international Thiago Alcantara gets to complete his season by once again visiting the doctor's office just weeks after returning from a partial ligament tear in right knee.

Sources in both Spain and Germany are reporting that the dynamic midfielder has suffered another right knee injury ahead of the DFB Pokal final this Saturday and will miss both that game, as well as the upcoming World Cup in Brazil. A diagnosis and official statement from the team is expected tomorrow.

After suffering a syndesmosis tear that shelved him for most the Hinründe, Thiago was in glorious form at the start of the Rückrunde, before suffering the partial ligament tear in the 3 all draw with Hoffenheim in late March. Getting him back to full health just before the Pokal final and in time for the World Cup was going to be a massive boost for both Bayern Munich and Spain. Now they'll have to make due without him.

With regards to the injury, contradictory reporting is surfacing on whether this is a new injury, or a setback on the existing knee injury, although some reports claim the injury is much more severe then the one suffered against Hoffenheim. If it's a setback, with regards to a ligament tear, that's a very worrying issue that could keep him sidelined even longer this time - or potentially could require more invasive action, like surgery.

UPDATE: BILD is reporting that Thiago will be sidelined 11 weeks and most likely will go in for surgery tomorrow