Injured Cisse to miss league opener

French international striker Djibril Cisse has been ruled out of action for at least two weeks because of injury, his club Panathinaikos announced Monday.

Cisse, the leading scorer last year in the Greek Super League in his initial season with the Athens club, suffered a knock to his left leg in Sunday’s friendly clash with Genoa won by Panathinaikos 2-0 at the Olympic Stadium.

He will miss Friday’s league opener against Xanthi at home and the following week’s clash with Aris at Salonica.

Panathinaikos officials are optimistic that Cisse will be ready for the team’s first tie in the Champions League next month.

“We’ll miss him the next two weeks. He was in great shape, but when you play on such a pitch it’s like playing in sand,” Panathinaikos coach Nikos Nioplias said of the pitch at the Olympic stadium.