Cardiff winger Craig Noone looks set to miss the rest of this season after suffering an abdominal injury.
Noone, who joined Cardiff from Brighton in 2012, was hurt during last Saturday's 3-0 Barclays Premier League home defeat against Crystal Palace.
And the 26-year-old is now poised to seek specialist advice in the United States, with a Cardiff spokesman stating it is likely that Noone will be sidelined for the remainder of this term .
Cardiff are currently battling to avoid relegation, standing six points from safety with just five games left.
"It's a big blow because Craig has been a player who's made things happen for us," Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told BBC Wales Sport.
"We've just got to find out how severe it is.
" It's very unfortunate because he has been terrific. But that's football. Sometimes you can't pick everyone you want. Every team has injuries."
Cardiff visit Southampton on Saturday, after which they face appointments with Stoke, Sunderland, Newcastle and Chelsea.
Source: PA
