Bayern Munich are set to be without Franck Ribery and Rafinha when the Bundesliga champions resume their campaign with an away match at Wolfsburg on Friday. Both players suffered injuries in training and are set for at least three games on the sidelines.
Ribery, 31, suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during training on Wednesday, and Rafinha, 29, sprained the lateral collateral ligament in his left ankle, the club announced.
Bayern hope that former France international Ribery can return to running next Wednesday, and resume team training the week after that.
The winger, who missed the opening stages of the 2014-15 season with knee problems, will not feature in the Bundesliga champions' first three games of the year: at Wolfsburg, at home to Schalke, and at Stuttgart.
With Bayern captain Philipp Lahm sidelined until March, youngster Mitchell Weiser, 20, could be a surprise starter at Wolfsburg on Friday, as Bayern look to open up a 14-point gap at the top of the league.
Sebastian Rode has also been suggested as another option at right-back, while Germany's World Cup winning star Mario Gotze could take Ribery's role on the left wing.