Stoke City will be without Danny Higginbotham for six months after it was revealed he has suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury.
The 32-year old sustained the injury late in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea and will now miss the rest of the Premier League season along with the Potters' FA Cup semi-final against Bolton at Wembley later this month.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis admitted it was a huge blow for Higginbotham who has been in consistent form in defence of late.
"It's a rupture and I'm devastated for the kid. It's a big blow for the team because Danny had just come back into the side and was doing so well," Pulis said.
"Hopefully he will return to training by the back end of pre-season but it's hard to be precise right now.
"We look after our own at this this club, so once he gets over the shock of the injury, Danny knows he will be getting the best possible care and treatment.
"He's been such a great servant to the club and is so popular with the fans and with good reason.
"With the back end to the season we've got coming up, it's a really depressing thing to happen."
