Villarreal forward Dos Santos to miss Atletico game

MADRID (Reuters) - Villarreal's Mexican forward Giovani Dos Santos sustained a muscle tear in their La Liga win at Elche on Monday and will miss Sunday's game at home to Atletico Madrid, his club said on Wednesday.

A graduate of Barcelona's academy, who also had a stint at Tottenham Hotspur, Dos Santos has been in fine form for the team known as "yellow submarine" this season, their first back in the top flight after a year in the second division.

However, he has been left out of the Mexico squad for this month's 2014 World Cup playoff against New Zealand.

The 24-year-old was replaced three minutes after halftime at Elche before Ikechukwu Uche grabbed the only goal in the 90th minute to strengthen Villarreal's grip on fourth place, three points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Ken Ferris)