Manchester City defender Ben Thatcher has been ruled out for three months following complications that arose as a result of his recent ankle operation.
Blues boss Kevin Keegan had anticipated Thatcher would only be sidelined for a month but has now revealed the grim news that the Welsh full-back will not be available until well into the New Year.
Keegan said: "Ben Thatcher will be out for three months. When they operated on the ankle, they found another problem in there. They have cleaned it up but it means he won't be back until after Christmas."
