Breaking: Bayern Munich announce Leon Goretzka underwent surgery (Update: Goretzka out for 2-4 weeks)

This came out of nowhere: Bayern Munich have just announced that Leon Goretzka underwent surgery to remove a bruise in his left thigh. The 24-year-old, who recently had to pull out of international duty with Germany, underwent the procedure on Wednesday. The operation was successful, but there is no stated timeline for his return.

This is a huge blow to Niko Kovac and the team, who were counting on having their midfield engine back before the game against RB Leipzig. Goretzka had been suffering from a bruised thigh for several weeks, long before being sent on national team duty. One wonders whether he may have been rushed back too soon by the medical team at Bayern and the DFB.

In any case, it is not normal to require surgery for a simple bruise, and the lack of details in Bayern’s press release does not paint a picture of confidence from the club. It’s entirely possible that Goretzka may be out for far longer than anyone expected. This can only hurt Bayern’s plans going forward. For the time being, Corentin Tolisso will have to step up and fill the void left by the German.

We here at BFW wish Goretzka a speedy recovery.

Update

According to Bild, Goretzka will likely be sidelined for two to four weeks, which means he will miss the game against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League this month. Bild also go into some details, claiming that Goretzka re-injured the same spot that he had already been treated for following Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga opener.

The doctor who treated Goretzka was Dr. Ulrich Stöckle, the same person who was brought on board for both Manuel Neuer’s foot injury and Kingsley Coman’s repeated ankle injuries. Given how long those two took to heal, it’s possible that we may have to wait a bit longer than Bild’s estimate to see Goretzka return to the pitch.