Hargreaves out for six weeks with broken leg

England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is facing at least six weeks out of action after sustaining a fractured left fibula, his club Bayern Munich said yesterday.

The news means Hargreaves will miss England's next two European championship Group E qualifiers at home to Macedonia on October 7 and away to Croatia on October 11.

He will also be absent for Bayern's forthcoming Champions League Group B matches away to Inter and then away and at home to Sporting Lisbon.

Hargreaves was taken off midway through the first half of Bayern's 2-1 defeat away to Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday and a broken leg was immediately suspected.

Bayern said Hargreaves would be in plaster for three weeks and could return in early November if everything goes well.

The injury comes just as Hargreaves was enjoying the best spell of his career. The 25-year-old midfielder won over his doubters in England with his performances at the World Cup and he was fast growing into the role vacated by Michael Ballack at Bayern.

"This is part of football," Hargreaves said on his personal website. "Sometimes you are flying high and all of a sudden you are down again."

¤ Argentine striker Christian Gimenez scored twice to send Hertha Berlin top of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win at home to Schalke 04 yesterday. Hertha have eight points from four matches and lead on goal difference from Nuremberg. Bayern Munich are third on seven points, ahead of Borussia Dortmund, Energie Cottbus and Schalke on goal difference. Eintracht Frankfurt came from behind to win 3-1 against Bayer Leverkusen in yesterday's other game.