​Bayern Munich have revealed that central defender Niklas Süle is set for a long-term injury lay-off after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee.


The incident occurred ten minutes into Die Roten's 2-2 draw with Augsburg, as Süle went up for an easy bouncing ball before pulling up mid-challenge after an awkward movement, leaving him immediately grabbing his left knee.

Süle had been a key player for ​Bayern so far this season, lining up in central defence alongside a variety of partners under Niko Kovac, but always being an ever-present in the ​Bundesliga. The news of the injury will come as a major blow to the Croatian boss, who will have to prepare for life without the German international for a significant length of time.


Speaking on the club's ​official website after the game, Kovac was upset with the performance, but more concerned about his key defender.


"We got off to a bad start. We mustn't let that happen, we had addressed it before the match. Two shots, two goals conceded, I'm annoyed. But Niklas Süle's injury is even worse. It isn't looking good. We must see what's happened, we're hoping for the best."


Their worst fears were realised by the club on Sunday, however, as revealed on their ​official Twitter page.

Niko Kovac

"Sadly, Niklas Süle did indeed suffer an ACL tear in his left knee yesterday and will undergo surgery later today. Get well soon, Niklas."


It has been an underwhelming start to the season by the Bavarian side, who have drawn three and lost one of their first eight matches, leaving them third in the table behind surprise packages Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach.


They are, however, flying high in the ​Champions League, with two wins from their first two group matches, including a 7-2 humbling of Tottenham, leaving them top of Group B ahead of a clash with Red Star Belgrade.