Knee injury sidelines James Rodriguez until 2019

James Rodriguez has become the fourth midfielder to join Bayern Munich's injury list after suffering knee ligament damage in training.

Rodriguez follows Thiago Alcantara, Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman and Arjen Robben onto the treatment table and will be a further blow to Niko Kovac's squad, which has been decimated through injury.

"This is obviously bitter news. James is a very important player, in my eyes he's our best, a creative mind, and we don't have another one like him," said Bayern striker Sandro Wagner.

The 27-year-old's knee will be immobilised for ten days and then undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation, Bayern confirmed on Wednesday, without giving a return date.

It looks unlikely Rodriguez will play again in 2018 with the Bundesliga's winter break to start on December 23.

Kovac's men have lost three of their last six league games and dropped to fifth in the table after Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund to sit seven points off leaders Dortmund.

Recent reports have claimed the Colombian is unhappy at Bayern, rumours which intensified when he was dropped for Saturday's defeat at Dortmund, reportedly because he arrived late to training, which the club later denied.

Meanwhile, Coman, 22, is on the verge of returning to the fold after tearing ankle ligaments in August during the first game of the season.

"I need two more weeks, then I will be back," Coman said at an event in Munich.

mds (afp, dpa)