Chelsea midfielder Oriel Romeu will miss the next six months of action after undergoing surgery.
The 21-year-old underwent anterior cruciate reconstruction surgery as well as medial meniscus on Monday, and will now be out of action for up to half a year.
The Spaniard sustained the injury in the first half of the Blues' 3-1 victory at Sunderland on Saturday.
Romeu returned to London following the match, as opposed to travelling out to Japan to compete in the Club World Cup with the rest of the squad.
The midfielder has played nine games this season and 33 overall since joining in the summer of 2011 from Barcelona for £4m.
