João Palhinha's Injury Blow to Bayern Munich

João Palhinha, Bayern Munich's midfielder, has been sidelined due to a muscle tear in his right adductor sustained during Portugal duty. His injury rules him out of key matches, and he is expected to be unavailable until after the winter break.

João Palhinha's season has taken an unexpected turn after the Bayern Munich midfielder suffered a significant injury while on national duty with Portugal. The club confirmed that Palhinha has torn a muscle in his right adductor, which will see him sidelined for the coming weeks.

This injury prevented Palhinha from participating in Portugal's recent international matches, a decisive 5-1 win over Poland and a 1-1 draw against Croatia in the Nations League. His absence poses a challenge for Bayern Munich, as they face tough opponents such as Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Borussia Dortmund in the German Klassiker.

Reports from Germany suggest that Palhinha is unlikely to return until after the winter break, which concludes with Bayern's last game on December 20. Coach Vincent Kompany may have to rely on Leon Goretzka and a recovering Aleksandar Pavlovic to fill the void in midfield.

(With inputs from agencies.)