Robert Lewandowski Ruled Out for 4 Weeks After Suffering Knee Injury During Win Over Chelsea

​Bayern Munich will be without star striker Robert Lewandowski for around four weeks after he suffered a knee injury during his side's 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. 

The German giants were hugely impressive in the first leg of their last 16 tie against the west Londoners, comfortably sweeping them aside in their own backyard. 

Former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry opened the scoring on 51 minutes and doubled his tally just three minutes later, before Lewandowski added a third with 14 minutes remaining.

However, Bayern have now taken to their ​official website to confirm that Lewandowski broke the tibia in his left knee joint during his side's comprehensive win on Tuesday. This was determined by Bayern medic Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, who carried out an examination upon the team's return from London on Wednesday.

It is further noted that the 31-year-old will start rehab after ten days of 'immobilisation in a cast.' Should his recovery go as planned, the club estimate that he will be out for around four weeks.

As a result, Lewandowski will miss Die Roten's upcoming trip to Hoffenheim, while he will also be unavailable for his side's clash with Schalke in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup. Elsewhere, he will also miss the games against Augsburg (March 8) and Union Berlin (March 14), as well as the second leg of ​Bayern's tie with ​Chelsea on March 18. 

The loss of the striker to injury will be a major blow for Bayern and Hansi Flick, especially considering the scintillating form he has been in. The prolific attacker has scored a stunning 39 goals in just 35 appearances in all competitions this season, with 25 of these strikes coming in the league. 

His 25 Bundesliga goals this campaign means he is the top goalscorer in the division, averaging a goal every 82 minutes. As for the ​Champions League, he also tops the charts for that competition, as well. However, his record is somehow even more impressive, as he is currently averaging a goal every 48 minutes, having scored 11 times in just the six games so far. 

Bayern are a world class outfit and they proved that on Tuesday night, but it will be challenging for them to replace Lewandowski's during his spell on the sidelines. The club are locked in a tight battle at the top of the Bundesliga, and while the likes of Gnabry and Thomas Muller have been impressing, Flick will look to them now to pose a greater threat in front of goal. 

During Lewandowski's absence, Gnabry could operate more centrally as he has done for his country, while Muller also has the ability to do that. Should Flick opt to move either player into the striker's role, this could mean more opportunities for the disappointing Philippe Coutinho.

Teenager Joshua Zirkzee is also very highly regarded at the club, often featuring on the substitutes' bench, and he could be given further chances to impress. He has made three appearances in the league this season, scoring twice in the very minimal amount of time he has been on the field. 

It remains to be seen how Bayern will line up in Lewandowski's absence, but he will most certainly be missed during his time out. 

r more from Adam Aladay, follow him on Twitter!