Osasuna have been rocked with news that midfielder Javad Nekounam could be out for the season with a knee injury.

The Iran international has damaged knee ligaments in preseason friendly action and preliminary tests suggest he's set to be out for the majority of this season.

Osasuna doctor Patxi Cipriain told the club's official website: "It's a serious injury and he will be out for a long time.

"Probably, we will seek a second opinion from another specialist and it will be then that we will know how to proceed. In principle he is likely to be out for six months."