Munich: Bayern Munich suffered a major blow on Saturday with their iconic goalkeeper Manuel Neuer announcing he will be out for the rest of the season after breaking his leg skiing.

Neuer had gone for a break to try and get over Germany's first round exit at the World Cup.

"Hey guys," he wrote on Instagram with a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed with his thumb raised.

"What can I say, the end of the year could definitely have gone better...

"While I was trying to get my head clear while ski touring, I suffered a lower leg fracture.

"Yesterday's surgery went well. Many thanks to the doctors!

"It hurts to know that the current season is over for me."

Bayern will miss 36-year-old Neuer -- a key member of the 2014 German World Cup winning side -- for the business end of the season both domestically and in the Champions League.

Bayern top the Bundesliga table -- they are four points clear of Freiburg -- and face a tricky Champions League last 16 clash against French champions Paris Saint-Germain with the first leg on February 14.