Brighton and Hove Albion have suffered a blow with the news that promising young winger Solomon 'Solly' March is to miss the remainder of the season through injury.
The England under-21 international was taken from the pitch with a knee injury during the first half of the Seagulls' two-all draw at Derby County at the weekend.
Now, a scan has revealed manager Chris Hughton's worst fears, confirming that March has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and will almost certainly miss the rest of the 2015/16 season.
Hughton 'devastated' for injured March
Hughton, speaking to BBC Sussex, said that everyone at the club was "devastated" for the player, who had been in "really good form" so far this campaign.
And, while the former Republic of Ireland defender admitted that the loss of March would be "a real blow", he noted that the extent of March's spell on the sidelines wouldn't be revealed until the winger has seen a specialist.
March, born barely 25 miles from Brighton in nearby Eastbourne, has made more than 50 appearances for the club despite his early years and was enjoying his best season to date, with three goals in 16 appearances so far this term.
March celebrates scoring recently against Fulham (Getty)
He has played an important role in Brighton's stunning start to the season, with the Seagulls still unbeaten 21 games into the Championship campaign.
Championship pacesetters clash at the Amex
A two-all draw away to a Charlie Austin-inspired Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night saw Brighton slip to second in the table, though they still hold a two-point lead over third-placed Derby.
Middlesbrough took advantage of Brighton's slip-up at Loftus Road to move to the top of the second-tier table on Tuesday thanks to a narrow win over promotion rivals Burnley.
Brighton welcome Middlesbrough to the Amex Stadium on Saturday in what could turn out to be a crucial match in this season's title race.