Leroy Sane's devastating knee injury could have serious implications on his Manchester City contract talks.
City have spent the last 12 months trying to persuade Sane to sign a new long-term deal.
And Bayern Munich used the stand-off to launch a summer-long attempt to unsettle the 23-year-old German international.
Those talks are now likely to be put on hold as the winger begins his seven-month recovery from an operation to repair a damaged cruciate ligament that will take place this week.
Sane suffered the injury in the early moments of City’s Community Shield victory over Liverpool last Sunday.
He will be operated on by renowned Barcelona-based specialist Dr Ramon Cugat this week.
And Pep Guardiola admitted that the player will be sidelined at least until March.
Bayern’s attempts to persuade Sane into submitting a transfer request that would have brought City to the negotiating table have not been well received at the Etihad.
City adopted a stance which dictated they would refuse to sell the player unless he told them he wanted to leave and the buying club met their £140million asking price.
Yet while Bayern failed to make any contact with City, they opened negotiations behind the scenes with Sane’s representatives.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed either, that Bayern’s interest has faded since Sane was injured.
