Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is expected to be out for about 12 weeks following surgery on a hamstring injury.
"[It is] a real shame for him and for us but he's on the road to recovery," said manager Eddie Howe.
"It was quite a complex one. We had a number of scans and opinions. We expect him to be out for around 12 weeks."
Shelvey has made 160 league starts for Newcastle since signing in January 2016 but also endured an injury disrupted start to last season, a calf injury ruling him out until late October.