Athletic Bilbao forward Iker Muniain is set to be sidelined for up to seven months after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage, ruling him out of the Copa del Rey final.
The 22-year-old was carried off on a stretcher just before half-time against Sevilla on Saturday after damaging his knee following an innocuous-looking sliding challenge by home midfielder Ever Banega.
Muniain, who has been capped by Spain, underwent tests on Tuesday where it was confirmed he could be out of action until November.
An Athletic statement read: "The player underwent an MRI scan on Tuesday April 7, where a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee was detected. The estimated period of absence is between six and seven months."
That means Muniain will miss Athletic's final nine league games of the season and the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on May 30 as well as the start of the next campaign.
Source: PA-WIRE
