Thiago suffers thigh injury in Bayern's win, could be out 'several months'

Thiago Alcantara's chances of featuring in next summer's World Cup could be in danger after the midfielder picked up a thigh injury during Bayern Munich's 2-1 victory over Anderlecht on Wednesday.

Thiago was replaced by James Rodriguez after a seemingly innocuous challenge. However, the Spanish international was visibly upset and immediately asked to be substituted.

Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was the bearer of bad news when he revealed that Thiago could be out for several months when he was forced to limp off the pitch in the 44th minute.

Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes later confirmed that Thiago suffered a "heavy thigh strain" and is expected to miss an extended period of time.

Thiago will likely undergo scans to discover the severity of the injury before an announcement regarding his return is made.

If the seven-month prognosis is correct, Thiago might struggle to regain fitness in time to be selected by the Spanish national team ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which kicks off in June.

Meanwhile, Arjen Robben was also forced out of the match with an injury, but Heynckes said that the knock is "not too serious."