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(Reuters) -Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies suffered an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tear in his right knee while on international duty with Canada and will be out for a long time, the Bundesliga club said on Wednesday.
Davies was forced off in the 12th minute of Canada's 2-1 win over the United States in the Concacaf Nations League third-place playoff on Sunday. The 24-year-old left back will miss the rest of the season.
"Unfortunately, during international breaks there's always the risk that players will return injured — this time it’s hit us particularly hard," Bayern's director of sport Max Eberl said in a statement.
In another blow to Bayern's backline, defender Dayot Upamecano has also been ruled out for several weeks with a knee injury, the club said, after the 26-year-old France international was diagnosed with loose joints in his left knee.
"The absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano are a heavy blow for Bayern. Phonzy will get all the support he needs on his way back. We will also follow Upa closely in the coming weeks and assume that he will be available again soon. Our squad is strong and will compensate for these absences," Eberl added.
League leaders Bayern hold a six-point lead over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen. Vincent Kompany's side host St Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday before welcoming Serie A leaders Inter Milan for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on April 8.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in BengaluruEditing by Ros Russell)
