By Peter Weis@PeterVicey

Azmoun ruled out for 6-8 weeks

Bayer 04 Leverkusen confirmed that Iranian attacker Sardar Azmoun would be out 6-8 weeks with a muscle tear on Thursday evening. 
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Photo: FC-Zenit.ru, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 3.0
Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen will have to do without Sardar Azmoun in the coming weeks. The 27-year-old may actually even remain unavailable through the World Cup break after it was revealed that the injury he suffered in pre-game warm-ups on Tuesday was, in fact, a muscle tear.

Azmoun's domestic league campaign wasn't off to the greatest start. The "Iranian Messi" made eight appearances (two starts) and was unable to get his name on the scoresheet. He did bag two assists in the team's ill-fated opening round DFB Pokal exit. He wasn't a factor at all in the Champions' League.

The new injury most definitely endangers the Iranian's World Cup prospects, though it remains unclear as to whether the Iranian regime will permit Azmoun to represent the country at all. After the country's footballing superstar expressed support for the current women's protest movement in the Islamic Republic, he has represented Iran without consequence in one international match.

Consequences may still be forthcoming.

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