Bayern midfielder Hojbjerg loaned to Schalke

BERLIN (Reuters) - Bayern Munich midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has gone on loan to Schalke 04 for the rest of the season in order to get more match practice, the German champions said on Friday.

The 20-year-old Danish international, who has been at the club since 2012, has struggled to win a spot in a crowded midfield for some time and also spent the second half of the 2014-15 season with Bundesliga rivals Augsburg.

"This is a solution which is good for all three sides," said Bayern sports director Matthias Sammer in a statement.

"We still have high hopes for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and see his future in Munich. In order to develop further he needs match practice and he will get that at Schalke."

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Tony Jimenez)