Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe could be ruled out for 10 weeks after suffering knee ligament damage.
The 28-year-old picked up the injury shortly after coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat at West Brom at the weekend.
He finished the game after treatment but scans have now revealed the damage.
The former Everton and West Brom forward has scored three goals for the Black Cats since joining as a free agent in September.
Manager David Moyes now has Jermain Defoe, Fabio Borini and 17-year-old Joel Asoro as striking options. Duncan Watmore is already out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage.