16.08.2017 12:33 h

Dortmund's Schuerrle out for month with thigh injury

World Cup-winner Andre Schuerrle is set to miss the first four weeks of the new season after tearing his thigh muscle, Borussia Dortmund confirmed on Wednesday.

His latest setback means Schuerrle will miss Dortmund's trip to Wolfsburg on Saturday in their opening league match of the new season.

The 26-year-old has been dogged by injury since joining Dortmund in July 2016 for 30 million euros ($35.2m) from Wolfsburg.

He was signed to much fanfare but struggled for form last season, managing just two goals and three assists in 15 Bundesliga games.

The highlight was his equaliser in Borussia's 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the group stages of the Champions League.

Last Saturday, Schuerrle played in Dortmund's 4-0 German Cup win at minnows Rielasingen-Arlen, who play in the sixth tier of German football, but his torn thigh means he is out until mid-September at the earliest.

New signing Maximilian Philipp, who Dortmund bought from Freiburg for 20 million euros in July, looks set to replace Schuerrle, whose cross Mario Goetze converted to score the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.