Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin is set for two months on the sidelines, the Bundesliga club have announced.
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The Turkey international, who missed preseason due to ongoing knee problems, underwent knee surgery in Munich on Wednesday.
"Doctor Heinz-Jurgen Eichhorn removed inflamed tissue in his left knee during the surgery," the club said in a press release.
"Borussia Dortmund team doctor Markus Braun is expecting a two-month rehab period for the Turkey international."
BVB coach Jurgen Klopp already has to do without holding midfielder Oliver Kirch, who is not expected to return before mid-October, and Ilkay Gundogan, who is currently working on his comeback following a major back injury which kept the Germany international out for over a year.
The club did seek cover during the transfer window, re-signing attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa from Manchester United on Sunday.
During his stint at Real Madrid in 2011, problems in Sahin's left knee limited the midfielder's chance of making the Los Blancos starting XI, and after an unsuccessful loan at Liverpool, he returned to Dortmund in January 2013.
The midfielder played in all 34 Bundesliga games for Dortmund last season.