MUNICH - Bayern Munich says defender Jerome Boateng needs "a long break" after picking up a groin injury in Friday's 2-1 Bundesliga win at Hamburger SV.

The league leader says an MRI scan revealed Boateng suffered a "muscle injury in the left adductor" and that his absence is a "bitter loss for the club as Boateng was the best tackler in the Bundesliga with a success rate of almost 72 per cent up to his injury."

German daily Bild reports that Boateng could be out for the rest of the season.

His injury is just the latest for Bayern, chasing the treble in Pep Guardiola's last season in charge.

Franck Ribery, Mario Goetze, Medhi Benatia, Rafinha, Sven Ulreich and Juan Bernat all missed Friday's game, though Bernat returned to team training Saturday.