Injured Heinze sidelined for three weeks

Marseille’s Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze will be out for around three weeks after injuring himself in his country’s friendly with Germany, his club announced on Thursday.

An X-ray revealed “a small crack at the top of the right fibula”, according to a Marseille statement.

Heinze sustained the injury in a tackle by Germany striker Lukas Podolski in the 48th minute of Argentina’s 1-0 victory in Munich on Wednesday and was unable to continue.

This latest setback comes shortly after Heinze returned from a five-week stint on the sidelines with a hamstring strain sustained in his side’s 1-1 draw at Bordeaux on January 17.

Heinze’s unavailability falls at a bad time for OM coach Didier Deschamps, whose team face a tight schedule in March when they will take on Lorient, Toulouse and Lyon in the league, Benfica home and away in the Europa League and Bordeaux in the League Cup final on March 27.