Troy Parrott may not return to action until 2023 after suffering a knee injury while celebrating his first Championship goal for Preston North End last Saturday.
The Dubliner, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, scored the winner against Norwich City but fell to the ground clutching his knee after reacting to the goal.
Preston boss Ryan Lowe confirmed he will be out for "the foreseeable future" including Ireland's upcoming friendlies with Norway and Malta.
Ryan said: "He's had his scans and whatnot. It’s not as bad as we first thought, but we’re obviously in dialogue with Tottenham Hotspur as well now because he’s their player, so Jacko [Matt Jackson] is on with them.
"I think the World Cup’s come at a good time for Troy because he will miss a large part, but the fact of the matter is we’ve got that break.
"We won’t have him for the foreseeable future, but after the World Cup when we’re back in action, hopefully he’s back fit and ready, so it’ll give us enough time not to rush.
"I’m gutted for Troy because obviously he just scored his first Championship goal as well. Although he’s been out the team, he’s been fantastic.
"He’s alright, he's in good spirits now. He’s got over it, and we’ve just got to make sure he’s alright for the next time he's available."
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