Stoke City have confirmed central defender Ben Wilmot will be out of action for "around three months" with a knee injury.
Stoke boss Alex Neil said losing Wilmot was a "big blow for us and for him".
The recent arrival of ex-Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark will help cover for the absence of Wilmot.
The former Newcastle and Republic of Ireland centre-back has joined the Potters on a deal until the end of the season.
Stoke have made a slow start to the Championship season and are currently 21st in the table, two points outside the bottom three, having won three of their 11 games so far.