Real Sociedad have confirmed they will be without star player Mikel Oyarzabal for their Europa League game against Manchester United next week.
United face the La Liga side in the round of 32 with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side potentially boosted by the unfortunate early injury news.
Oyarzabal, 23, is widely regarded as the best player in the Sociedad squad and has enjoyed an impressive campaign which has seen him score 12 goals and notch 6 assists from the left wing.
However, Sociedad will now have to cope without their star man for the European tie after they confirmed he is set for a spell on the sidelines following a recent thigh injury.
“Mikel Oyarzabal has presented with tendinopathy in the proximal hamstring tendons of the right thigh," an official club statement read on Thursday. “He has begun physical therapy treatment. A return to action will depend on the evolution of his symptoms.”
Although no official time frame has been given on his recovery it is widely expected Oyarzabal will miss both legs of the Europa League tie given the typical treatment time required.
The injury is further bad news for Sociedad who have already claimed they are at an 'unfair' disadvantage after next week's first-leg was moved from their Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian to Turin.
Strict travel restrictions in Spain forced Uefa into relocating the match to Italy, however the second-leg is still set to take place at Old Trafford as originally planned.
"I would like the return to be also on a neutral ground or for UEFA to appoint a single venue for a one-game tie as it did last year," Sociedad director of football Roberto Olabe said.
"It does not seem coherent to me that as the home team, we play in a neutral field and as a visitor, we do it there, but that's the way things are."
