Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City has been ruled out for three months due to a muscular issue.
The 27-year-old was replaced in Nigeria’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations team on Wednesday after missing the Foxes’ Championship triumph over Huddersfield on New Year’s Day.
Ndidi might miss 15 of Leicester’s remaining 20 league games this season if he is out for three months.
“For Wilfred, it will be a long time,” said Foxes boss Enzo Maresca.
“It could be three months. It looks like a muscle problem, but an important one so we now see in the next hours.”
Ndidi, an FA Cup winner with Leicester who is into the final six months of his contract at the King Power Stadium, has been a key member of Maresca’s table-topping Foxes.
He has made 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals and providing six assists.