ROME - Lazio has confirmed that striker Miroslav Klose will be sidelined for at least three matches with a left thigh injury.

Klose was substituted at halftime of Lazio's 1-0 win Tuesday over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League playoff with a suspected torn muscle.

On Thursday team doctor Stefano Salvator said "the outcome of the tests on Klose was what we expected, the German has suffered a muscular lesion to the biceps femoris in his left thigh."

The 37-year-old will miss the return match at Leverkusen as well as Lazio's opening Serie A matches at home to Bologna and at Chievo Verona before the international break.

Salvator added "after the break we will conduct more tests and so we will be more precise on his recovery time."