Aranguiz suffers torn Achilles blow
 |
| AFP |
Chile midfielder Charles Aranguiz faces a lengthy injury lay-off after tearing his Achilles tendon just a week after joining Bayer Leverkusen, the German Bundesliga club announced on Friday.
The 26-year-old tore the ligament in his left ankle in training on Thursday evening and faces an operation in Basel, Switzerland, next Tuesday. He will be out for months and is unlikely to play again this year.
The Copa America-winner was on the bench for Leverkusen's 2-1 win at home to Hoffenheim last Saturday and had been due for his Bundesliga debut at Hanover on Saturday having only signed for the German side from Brazil's Internacional on 12 August.
"We've all been hit hard by the news and we're all suffering with him," said Leverkusen's sporting director Rudi Voeller. "We will do everything we can so that Charles comes back as quickly as possible from this bad injury."
The club posted a picture on Twitter of the Leverkusen squad with placards wishing their new team-mate a speedy recovery while Aranguiz's Chile team-mate Arturo Vidal said he will come back stronger. "A giant hug, brother Charles. You're great and you will be much better. Strength and blessings. Chile is with you," Bayern Munich midfielder Vidal wrote on his Twitter account.
Aranguiz, a defensive midfielder, cost Leverkusen a reported €12m and had been brought in to boost their midfield after the departure of German internationals Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Reinartz and also the retirement of Simon Rolfes.