Dortmund's Goetze faces lengthy lay-off

Borussia Dortmund's rising German star Mario Goetze is expected to be out for up to eight weeks as the midfielder's groin injury is worse than first thought.

"I hope I can be involved again soon," Goetze wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon.

A stress injury of the pubic bone has been confirmed by both Dortmund doctor Markus Braun and national team-doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt.

"The only positive aspect of this injury is that he can at last have a few days rest," said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, with the defending champions set to host Hoffenheim on Saturday in the Bundesliga.

"Mario knows that we are waiting for him, the important thing is that he comes back to us completely healthy again."

The teenager needs two weeks complete rest before he can begin rehabilitation and looks set to miss Germany's high-profile friendly against France in Bremen on February 29, part of the preparations for Euro 2012, which starts June 8.

"The diagnosis is, of course, a blow for us," admitted Dortmund's director of sport Michael Zorc.

"We'll have to compensate for his loss as best we can.

"I hope that Mario can play again soon and can put himself forward for the European Championships."

The 19-year-old missed Sunday's 5-1 hammering of Hamburg in the German league which put his side second in the table and level with leaders Bayern Munich on 37 points.
Goetze has scored five goals in 14 Bundesliga games this season and won 12 caps for Germany.

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