Forlan sidelined for a month

Villarreal striker Diego Forlan will be sidelined for up to a month with torn left thigh muscle fibers.

Forlan sustained the injury during Villarreal's 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica on Nov. 2, and he aggravated it during the first leg of Uruguay's World Cup playoff against Australia.

The striker missed Wednesday's second leg in which Uruguay lost on penalties and missed out on a place in the finals.

Forlan, who was the Spanish league's top scorer last season with 25 goals, will be absent for Villarreal's crucial Champions League match against his former club, Manchester United, at Old

Trafford on Nov. 22, the club said Wednesday. Villarreal leads Group D with six points, while United is third with five, AP reports.

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