Di Maria to miss World Cup qualifiers due to injury

Madrid: Real Madrid midfielder Angel di Maria will miss Argentina`s upcoming World Cup qualifiers after tearing a thigh muscle in his side`s 7-1 win against Osasuna in a Spanish La Liga match, the club confirmed on Monday.

Real have not said for how long the Argentine will be absent but he is expected to be out for at least a month, a news agency reports. Di Maria, who had set up Real Madrid`s first three goals of the game with passes for Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and a pass for Gonzalo Higuain, suffered the injury as he sprinted and stretched to keep the ball in play three minutes into the second half. He immediately went down on the pitch and had to be carried out of the ground on a stretcher. A torn muscle could sideline him for between 4-6 weeks, it is feared. Argentina`s two World Cup qualifiers are against Bolivia Friday and Colombia Nov 15. IANS