Athletic

Bilbao defender Laporte out for season with ankle injury

Published Mar. 30, 2016 10:12 a.m. ET

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Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte will be sidelined for the rest of the season after suffering a broken ankle on international duty.

The France U21 captain underwent surgery in Bilbao on Tuesday and is expected to be out for three to four months, ending his faint hopes of representing his country on home soil at Euro 2016 this summer.

The Athletic Bilbao center-back, who is a reported transfer target for Manchester City, was taken off on a stretcher during France U21s' match with Scotland U21s in Amiens last week.

"I have no doubt that we will miss Aymeric because he is a great player and offers us a lot," Athletic Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde told the club's website.

Athletic face holders Sevilla in the quarter-finals of the Europa League next month and also retain outside hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League as they lie seven points adrift of fourth-placed Villarreal in seventh in La Liga.

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