Richard Dunne will be forced to sit out the remainder of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifying programme. The defender be out of action for three months as a result of his Bangkok fracas with Manchester City team-mate Joey Barton.
Dunne will also miss City's first eight Premiership games, with a potential comeback against Arsenal at Highbury on October 22nd.
X-rays have revealed that the City defender suffered a cracked bone in his foot when he kicked a wall in frustration after being attacked by Barton in a hotel bar while on the club's tour.
Dunne had intervened when Barton reacted to the taunts of a schoolboy Everton fan, but got so wound up with his team-mate he has ended up causing himself more damage.
"Richard has got a slight crack in his foot and we are looking at three months," manager Stuart Pearce told the Manchester Evening News.
It is the worst news Pearce could possibly have had prior to his first full season as City boss, and means he will be forced to seek a new central defensive partner for captain Sylvain Distin.
With teenager Nedum Onuoha still not fully recovered from a hamstring injury and David Sommeil not having started a Premiership game for over a year, a move into the transfer market cannot be ruled out ahead of the opening-day clash with West Brom on August 13th.
"At this moment in time, it is going to be a long-term injury," said Pearce.
"Richard is very disappointed because he wants to play. He was in blinding form at the end of last season and he is a big loss but we are just going to have to move on.
"It's happened, and we are disappointed, but there is not much we can do about it now."
Barton earned the wrath of his manager and was ordered home early from Thailand as a result of the incident.
The 22-year-old, whose brother Michael is wanted for questioning by Merseyside Police in connection with the murder of Anthony Walker in Huyton on Friday, has been ordered to undergo a course in lifestyle coaching before he will be considered for team selection again.
It is yet another problem for Pearce to wrestle with as he looks to improve on last season's impressive eighth-place finish.
In a troubled summer to date, Pearce has seen Robbie Fowler, Nicky Weaver and Antoine Sibierski enter the treatment room along with Dunne and Onuoha, while Sun Jihai is facing suspension for the opening weeks of the campaign after being sent off in a friendly at Stoke on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Antti Niemi is to discuss the grievances that have led to him refusing to play or train for Championship side Southampton with his chairman, Rupert Lowe.
The goalkeeper refused to feature in the club's official photograph on Monday.
"Antti has got some grievances and I am hoping he can sort them out. His problem is over a contract he made with the chairman," his manager Harry Redknapp said.
West Ham's £5.5 million bid for Monaco's striker Emmanuel Adebayor seems now to have failed.
"It's true that there was a link with West Ham but I'm staying and I'm very happy still to be a Monaco player," said the Togo international yesterday.
