Okazaki suffers injury blow

Stuttgart attacker Shinji Okazaki will miss up to three weeks after suffering a small ligament tear in his right knee.

The Bundesliga outfit announced the news on Thursday, revealing the Japan international had suffered the injury in training.

Okazaki has had a good run of form of late, scoring in three straight matches and bringing his total to seven this season.

Stuttgart sit in eighth place in the German top flight, six points away from the Europa League places.

Okazaki could potentially be absent from his club’s crucial match against leaders Borussia Dortmund at the end of the month.

Stuttgart also announced that captain Serdar Tasci will miss this weekend’s fixture against Hoffenheim because of a pelvic injury.