Philipp Lahm surgery on broken ankle was a success, say Bayern Munich

Posted Friday, November 21, 2014 by theguardian.com

· Rehabilitation will not begin for ‘several weeks’
· Captain sustained injury on Tuesday in training

Manuel Neuer will take over the captaincy while Phillip Lahm recovers from a broken ankle sustained in training.

Philipp Lahm had successful surgery on a broken ankle and will remain in hospital for a few more days, Bayern Munich said on Thursday. The club captain, who will be out for about three months, sustained the injury on Tuesday in training.

"His ankle was fixed with a plate and a screw and he will remain in hospital for some days," the club said in a statement. "He will then need to protect the leg for several weeks before starting his rehabilitation."

Bayern are already without the injured midfielders Thiago Alcântara and Javi Martínez as well as David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and the forward Claudio Pizarro. The substitute goalkeepers Pepe Reina and Tom Starke are also sidelined.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has recently returned to team training, has not played for months. Bayern host Hoffenheim in the league on Saturday aiming to protect their four-point lead at the top before travelling to Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.