Andres Iniesta of Japanese club Vissel Kobe sustains thigh injury during Asian Champions League quarterfinals last week
Japanese football side Vissel Kobe midfielder Andres Iniesta was diagnosed with a proximal right thigh muscle tendon tear, the club announced on Wednesday.
"We performed operation under the initial charge of team doctor of Vissel Kobe in hospital in Barcelona city on Dec. 15 and succeeded safely. A timetable of 4 months has been set for the recovery period," Vissel Kobe said on their website.
Spanish football star Iniesta was injured in the game against South Korea's Suwon Samsung during the Asian Champions League quarterfinals on Dec. 10.
A product of Spanish club Barcelona's youth academy, Iniesta produced 57 goals and 139 assists in 674 matches for Barca.
During his 16-year spell at Barcelona, Iniesta clinched nine La Liga championships, four UEFA Champions League titles, three UEFA Super Cups, three FIFA Club World Cups, six Spanish Cups, and seven Spanish Super Cups.
He scored the only goal when his nation beat the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final.