Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Makoto Hasebe has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will be sidelined for the rest of the 2016-17 Bundesliga season that ends in late May, the German club said Thursday.
The 33-year-old Japan captain was told by doctors at a Tokyo hospital on Wednesday he would need to remain laid up for the next few months to recover from the injury he sustained two weeks ago in a sliding goal-line clearance against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena.
"I'm sure I'll be able to rejoin the team in time for next year's preseason training," Hasebe said through the club.
He also underwent a knee operation in January 2014 and did not return to the pitch until the final match day on May 10.
On March 11, Hasebe suffered a gash to his left shin after colliding with the post in Frankfurt's 3-0 away defeat in Munich before a problem with his right knee also came to light. He was immediately taken to a hospital where he received six stitches in his leg.
Despite flying to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to discuss the injury with head coach Vahid Halilhodzic and team medical staff, Hasebe withdrew from the national team's World Cup qualifiers against the UAE and Thailand and flew to Japan to seek further medical advice.