Arjen Robben will miss two months after the Bayern medical staff discovered he had a hamstring tear.
The Dutch winger was suspected to have re- aggravated the hamstring injury after being rushed back to the field during the World Cup. He did not seem to show any ill effects and turned out to be instrumental in the Dutch march to the finals.
However, the discovery of a serious muscle injury has left his club angry and crying cover up at the Dutch Football Federation. They are now seeking compensation and will involve FIFA as a mediator.
"Of course, Bayern Munich are very angry," said the chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "Once again we must pay the bill as a club after a player is seriously injured playing for a national team."
I understand the disappointment of the club and as Robben's employer they have every right to seek the fullest compensation but one can also understand the national compulsion that go into fielding the strongest team possible for the world's most sought after title every four years.
So Rummenigge is being a trifle dramatic- he is not talking about a star player in a smaller club being irreplaceable. Didn't Hamit Altintop fill in pretty well for Robben while he was out with his injuries last season?
Patrick, that's part of Robben's whole "dive" package- the look of agony every time he goes down. It fools the referee into giving something worse. The only time he had a case was against Felipe Melo and that resulted in the right decision. Maybe if it is a case of crying wolf too much- that is the reason a serious injury like his was missed.
How can this be? Robben was clearly injured during the World Cup at least a couple of dozen times. Every time he hit the turf after those vicious challenges, the agony on his face was plain to see.