Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery is set to miss the start of the Bundesliga season after undergoing surgery on torn ligaments above his ankle.
The France international suffered the injury early in his nation's 2-0 defeat to Italy on Tuesday - a result which eliminated Les Bleus from Euro 2008.
It was initially feared that Ribery had broken his leg, but subsequent scans revealed ligament damage and he now faces up to two months on the sidelines which all but rules him out of the start of the Bundesliga season, which commences on August 15.
'It is very regrettable that Franck has injured himself at the European Championships,' said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on the club's website.
'However, we are happy that the severe initial diagnosis has not been confirmed.'
The 25-year-old will undergo surgery in Munich on Thursday morning and the required rehabilitation period means he will miss the whole of pre-season and the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
