MADRID – Atletico Madrid announced on Monday its Montenegrin defender Stefan Savic had been diagnosed with a left hamstring tear after he was forced out of the field during the opening minutes of his team’s 1-0 win over Levante.

Although the club did not reveal for how long Savic was set to be sidelined, the estimated recovery time from this injury is at least three weeks.

“Stefan Savic underwent an MRI scan at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra on Monday morning which revealed a grade II tear in the left hamstring,” the Spanish club announced in a statement on its website.

Savic is thus expected to miss Atleti’s upcoming three La Liga matches against Huesca, Getafe and Real Betis, as well as the second leg of the Spanish Cup round of 16 and the quarterfinal, should the capital team advance.

Atletico Madrid played to a 1-1 draw against Girona in the first leg of the Spanish Cup round-16 and is set to host the Catalan club in the second leg on Jan. 16.

The 28-year-old Savic added to his team’s defensive woes, as Atletico Argentine coach Diego Simeone will not have the four central defenders at his disposal; France’s Lucas Hernandez, Uruguay’s Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez and Savic himself.

Savic has already missed ten matches this season over muscle contusion and played just 16 games in all competitions, although he was part of the starting XI in all matches, including nine out of the last 11 encounters.