Manchester City defender Micah Richards has had knee surgery after he was injured against Swansea on Saturday and he could be out for up to four months.
The 24-year-old picked up the injury towards the end of City's narrow 1-0 victory, pulling up and holding onto his knee without any other players close by.
He was stretchered from the field while wearing an oxygen mask and the England international ended up having an operation to mend a torn knee cartilage.
The unfortunate Richards had only returned to action at the start of October, after picking up a heel injury while on duty for Team GB at the London Olympics.
Richards said: "The positive thing is that the injury has been repaired so the knee will be as good as new.
"I have a brace on it and I am using crutches. I can't do anything at all for the next four to six weeks and I am probably looking at 12-16 weeks before I am back in action.
"I knew straight away that it was quite a bad injury. The knee locked and I couldn't straighten it."
