WWE will likely be without Alberto del Rio, one of its top heels on RAW, for an extended period of time as they head down the ever-important road to WrestleMania.

WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann has confirmed that Alberto Del Rio suffered a groin tear during the tag team main event of the Dec. 19 edition of Raw SuperShow.

"We were able to look at an MRI, and it appears as though he has a groin injury that’s severe enough to require surgery," Dr. Amann told WWE.com. "Fortunately for Alberto, the surgery is minimally invasive and the recovery time is usually four to six weeks."

Last year’s Royal Rumble winner will miss this year’s winter classic barring a miraculous early return. Not that he had any chance of repeating, but missing the event is still a blow as he could be used for solid heel moments in the match itself.

Is Alberto del Rio's Injury a Blessing in Disguise?

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Del Rio has been a staple on WWE programming, but terrible booking since August has destroyed his credibility. Though nobody wants to step away from the game due to injury, this could very well be the best thing for del Rio and WWE right now.

The creative team desperately needs to regroup and map out a creative plan for del Rio or risk losing him in the eyes of the fans altogether. He was pushed down our throats for months, but he looks more like a stooge instead of a top heel.

Despite being a solid in-ring worker and fairly charismatic on the microphone, he is not over to justify his push. He has been booked almost like an Eddie Guerrero rip off, but fails miserably to draw the same reaction from the fans time and time again. It’s pathetic that his ring announcer draws more heat and passion from the fans than he does.

Del Rio is lucky that he will still be able to come back in time for WrestleMania, but don’t expect him to be involved in a high-profile World Title match like last year. At this point, the best he can hope for is a contest with Rey Mysterio, though Rey Rey deserves more than that.

Alberto is clearly on a downward spiral heading into 2012. The injury doesn’t help, but his four to eight week absence will definitely do all parties some good.