Southampton have announced a disastrous blow for the club with the news that crucial centre-back Virgil van Dijk will be out for up three months.
The Dutchman picked up an ankle injury in the game against Leicester City at the weekend, and recent scans have revealed the disappointing extent of the damage.
Devastating blow for both team and player
Saints boss Claude Puel had already ruled him out for Wednesday night's fixture in the EFL Cup semi-final second-leg against Liverpool, but the extent of the injury is worse than originally feared.
The 25-year-old could be left on the sideline until the closing stages of the current season and will most definitely miss out on the trip to Wembley, should Saints protect their 1-0 advantage and book their berth in the final.
The time frame suggests it will be mid-April before he can even be on the bench, but starting games will depend on whether Van Dijk is able to build his match fitness up after a series of rehab sessions.
Van Dijk injury adds to list of centre-back problems
The injury is not the only blow for Southampton. Following Jose Fonte’s move to West Ham, Puel will need to make an attempt to juggle with the resources he has.
Amidst the recent media speculation of Van Dijk being a target for Manchester City to cover for Vincent Kompany, the injury rules him out of any possible move to the Etihad Stadium.
The unexpected injury has thrown 22-year-old Jack Stephens into the spotlight.
He has a massive backing from Puel to handle the job in the heart of the defence and it will only be his fourth start for the team after debuting in the EFL Cup against Sunderland back in October.
Puel added: “Since the beginning of the competition we have played with young players and for example in the last round at Arsenal away. We had young players, and they played at a good level and got a fantastic result.”