MUNICH: Bayern Munich and Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara will miss the World Cup for the defending champions as well as this week’s German Cup final after tearing a knee ligament this week that will need surgery, the club said on Thursday.

The 23-year-old, who joined Bayern this season and was named in Spain’s World Cup squad on Monday, has been out since March with a different ligament injury in the right knee and was hoping to play in the Cup final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

“This is bitter for Thiago and I feel sorry for him,” said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in a statement.

“A young man who wanted to come back at the World Cup in the land of his father and suddenly his dreams are burst. We will take care of him now and make sure he is fit at the start of the season.”

Thiago originally suffered the injury in Bayern’s 3-3 draw with Hoffenheim on March 29.

The former Barcelona player, who has impressed with his intelligence and technical ability in his first season at Bayern, also missed nearly three months towards the end of 2013 after tearing ankle ligaments.

The son of Brazil’s former World Cup winner Mazinho, Thiago has made five appearances for Spain.

Spain, winners of the 2010 World Cup, have been drawn in Group ‘B’ along with Netherlands, Chile and Australia.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2014