An orthopaedic surgeon has said that Rory McIlroy could be injured for three months after rupturing his ankle ligaments.
McIlroy revealed on Twitter and Instagram that he sustained the injury playing football with his friends, and could now miss the Open next week.
"If it is a high-grade injury, a complete rupture, there would almost certainly be a lot of swelling, a lot of bruising and it would be painful," Dr Andrew Roche told reporters.
"If it is on the severe end of the spectrum it is highly unlikely he would be playing next week. You could potentially play if it was a mild sprain but it is difficult to speculate.
"Everyone is different and it very much depends on the severity but it could mean three months out of action."
If McIlroy is injured for 12 weeks he will also miss the PGA Championship in August.
