De Jong out for six weeks

Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Luuk de Jong will miss the next six weeks after injuring his knee in his side’s Europa League clash with Marseille.

Thursday’s Group C encounter at Borussia Park earned Lucien Favre’s men their first European victory of the season, but the 2-1 triumph came at a high cost as the Dutchman crumpled under a challenge from Joey Barton in the 64th minute.

The 22-year-old had to be stretchered off, and further investigation revealed a bone oedema in his left knee cap that required surgery on Friday.

While the operation went smoothly, the former Twente forward is now expected to spend an extended period recuperating, leaving Favre without the striker for up to six weeks.

De Jong is Moenchengladbach’s joint top scorer in the Bundesliga, having scored twice in seven appearances following his move to Germany during the off-season.