Hull City boss Steve Bruce admits he doesn't know how he'll replace injury victim Sone Aluko.
Hull do not have a like-for-like replacement in the squad and Bruce now faces a challenge to make do without him for another extended period.
"Anybody who's watched Hull City over the last 18 months, especially the first six months Sone was here, will realise I wasn't talking lightly when I said he was the best player in the Championship," said Bruce.
"He will take some replacing but we need to find a way. Whether that means changing the system or changing the personnel we need to enable the team to function as well as it would do with him.
"Let's be fair, we've been without Sone a lot since last Christmas. He's played a few games this year but I would think only 50 or 60 per cent. We'll have to adapt and get over the loss."
