MADRID (Reuters) – Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara expects to return to action in “a few weeks” after injuring his troublesome right knee playing for Spain against England on Friday.

Thiago was forced off midway through the first half of the 2-0 friendly victory in Alicante and a scan on Saturday showed swelling on the medial collateral ligament.

The 24-year-old playmaker’s career has been disrupted by a series of knee and ankle problems and he missed last year’s World Cup finals in Brazil after needing surgery to repair ligament damage in the same knee.

“Fortunately I will be out just for a few weeks,” Thiago wrote on his Twitter feed (@Thiago6) on Sunday.

Bayern’s next match is a Bundesliga clash at Schalke 04 on Saturday before they host Olympiakos Piraeus in Champions League Group F three days later.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Toby Davis)