Hertha's Darida to miss Bundesliga opener

Berlin : Hertha Berlin will be without injured midfielder Vladimir Darida for the first few matches of the Bundesliga football championship.

The Czech international sustained an injury in his left knee during a test match. Further examinations revealed that the midfielder suffered a bone marrow oedema, the Bundesliga club announced on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We will miss with Vladimir, an important and experienced player, for the season start. He reported that he was not painless despite reducing the training but Vladimir is a fighter. I hope he returns as soon as possible," Hertha coach Pal Darida said.

The 27-year-old has been playing for Berlin since summer 2015 and has made overall 77 appearances, providing seven goals and eight assists.

"Too bad that I have to take a long break now. I hoped it would get better soon but I still had a lot of pain. Despite all the trouble I still have to keep my cool and I want to get back to the team as soon as possible," Darida said.

Hertha Berlin will encounter newly promoted Nuremberg in the Bundesliga opener on August 25.