Real Madrid blow as Kroos suffers knee injury

Madrid - Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos faces a spell on the sidelines after his club confirmed on Friday that he had picked up a knee injury.

"Following tests carried out on Toni Kroos...he has been diagnosed with a sprain to the exterior lateral ligament in the left knee. His recovery will continue to be assessed," Real said in a statement on their website.

While Real did not say how long the 28-year-old German would be out for, they will hope to have him back in time for the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie away to Paris Saint-Germain on March 6.

Kroos played the full 90 minutes of Wednesday's first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, which Zinedine Zidane's side won 3-1, although Spanish media said he picked up the injury in that game in a challenge with PSG's Kylian Mbappe.

He will miss Sunday's La Liga game away at Betis, with the versatile Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic a contender to take his place in the team.