Liverpool have been rocked by the news that Jermaine Pennant requires surgery on a stress fracture of his right tibia and faces 10 weeks on the sidelines.
The winger limped out of the Reds' Champions League defeat at Besiktas on Wednesday night and the club tonight confirmed he had been carrying a problem for almost the whole of this season.
He will go under the knife this weekend.
Club spokesman Ian Cotton said on the Reds' official website, www.liverpoolfc.tv: "For the last eight weeks Jermaine has undergone intensive treatment at Melwood between matches for the injury.
"But following an acute exacerbation of the problem during the game against Besiktas, it has now been decided he requires surgery.
"We anticipate Jermaine will be out for approximately 10 weeks."
