Bayer Leverkusen's defensive midfielder Gonzalo Castro is out of Tuesday's Champions League clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford after tearing his hamstring.
The 26-year-old, who made the last of his five Germany appearances in 2007, sustained the injury in the closing stages of Saturday's 3-1 Bundesliga win over VfL Wolfsburg, which kept them third, before Monday's diagnosis.
Midfielder Lars Bender, who sat out the Wolfsburg match, is set to deputise, providing he has fully recovered from the hip injury which kept him out of Germany's World Cup qualifiers earlier this month.
"I feel fit again. There is nothing standing in the way of me playing," Bender told SID, an AFP subsidiary.
Leverkusen, back in the Champions League after a year's absence, are up against a United side who enjoyed their first win at home under David Moyes on Saturday after both Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney scored in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Sami Hyypia-coached Leverkusen have won four of their five Bundesliga matches so far this season and are third behind leaders Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the German league.
Source: AFP
