Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne will be out for six months after suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
Clyne was injured during Liverpool's pre-season match with Borussia Dortmund and has returned to the UK for treatment.
Despite the club confirming Clyne will spend a "lengthy spell on the sidelines", the injury is not as serious as originally feared and manager Jurgen Klopp has described it as a "straightforward ACL injury".
Klopp told Liverpool's club website: "What can I say other than how gutted we all are for Clyney. He was training and playing so well - he was in outstanding shape.
"Clearly an injury of this nature isn't a happy moment for any player, but the silver lining for him is that, according to the medical guys, it's a straightforward ACL injury. This means fixing it and coming back from it should follow a path that is free from pitfalls and complications.
"At the moment there isn't much more to say beyond we'll all support Clyney in whatever way we can and we look forward to seeing him back on the pitch as soon as responsibly possible.
"He is such a sound professional and is naturally very fit and strong, so all these things are in his favour."
Clyne has one year remaining on his Liverpool contract and had been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer.
The 28-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Bournemouth, making 15 appearances in all competitions.