ANKARA

With a muscle tear to his thigh, Rayo Vallecano's Colombian forward Radamel Falcao could miss out on as much as a month of football play.

The Spanish La Liga club said in a statement on Monday that Falcao sustained a "tear in the adductor magnus of the right thigh" and is expected to be out for three to four weeks.

Playing for Turkish side Galatasaray in 2019-2021, he battled several injuries, including Achilles tendon problems and hamstring, calf, and thigh injuries.

This season Falcao, 35, has scored five goals in eight La Liga matches.

On Saturday, Falcao netted a second half goal against Real Madrid but his team Rayo Vallecano were beaten 2-1 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.

Near the end of the match, Falcao went off the pitch after being injured.

During his football career, Falcao has played for clubs such as River Plate, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Monaco, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Galatasaray.

He won the UEFA Europa League twice: 2011 with Porto, and 2012 with Atletico Madrid.

Separately, he played for his native Colombia to score 35 goals in 97 international caps.