Vissel Kobe striker Lukas Podolski will be out for roughly six weeks after injuring his left foot during training in June, the J-League first division side said Thursday.
The former Germany international was aiming to return from a left-calf injury diagnosed in May, but the chip fracture sustained on June 28 will likely force him to miss several matches after the J-League resumes on Wednesday.
He suffered the injury during a training camp in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, and has returned to Germany to receive treatment.
The 33-year-old, who joined Vissel last year, was named captain of the side this season but has only appeared in 11 matches so far, scoring three goals.
The western Japan club, managed by Takayuki Yoshida, signed Spain international Andres Iniesta in May. They are currently sixth in the J-League table.
