West Ham United have been handed a major injury blow with the news that Angelo Ogbonna sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Sunday's match against Liverpool.
The Hammers defeated the Reds 3-2 on Sunday to leapfrog Jurgen Klopp's side into third place in the Premier League table.
But the buoyant mood from that victory has been tempered by the discovery of an anterior cruciate ligament problem for defender Ogbonna.
A scan revealed damage to his right knee and the Italy defender has already started his recovery programme, and the injury could rule him out for the rest of the season.
The Italy international has already started recovery work on the injury to his right knee.
"After being substituted following a separate incident that led to him suffering a cut above his eye, Angelo felt some discomfort in his right knee so we scanned him to ascertain the extent of the injury," said West Ham's head of medical Richard Collinge.
"That scan has shown up some damage to the anterior cruciate ligament and we have begun his rehabilitation immediately.
"Angelo will see another specialist this week and we will then have a clearer picture around his timeline of recovery."
While the Hammers are not yet putting a timeframe on his recovery, if he requires surgery he would likely be sidelined for at least six months.
