Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and is expected to miss the majority of the forthcoming season.
Sources have told BBC Sport that Maddison is set to have surgery and will become a long-term absentee as he starts his recovery programme.
The 28-year-old suffered the injury in the pre-season draw against Newcastle in South Korea last weekend.
Manager Thomas Frank confirmed after the match that Maddison had injured the same knee that ruled him out of the Europa League final victory against Manchester United in May.
Since returning from Asia on Monday, Maddison has undergone tests in recent days to ascertain the severity of the injury.
Initial fears were that Maddison had suffered a cruciate ligament injury and those concerns have now been realised.