Manchester United's Wayne Rooney will be sidelined at least six weeks after suffering a knee injury during training.
The United captain had been in fine form in 2016 with seven goals in nine appearances in all competitions and his absence will hit a United strikeforce struggling to fire regularly.
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Rooney did not travel with Louis van Gaal's squad for their Europa League clash Thursday with Midtjylland, it has been reported that the injury could keep him out of action until April.
Van Gaal confirmed Rooney's injury at his pre-match news conference but was unable to provide a timeline on the 30-year-old's absence.
"It's difficult to say but he's injured in the game versus Sunderland and has a knee problem," Van Gaal said. "We have to wait and see how long that takes. I cannot say.
"Certainly in 2016, he has scored and that's why we had a good run in matches until Sunderland. But we have to cope with that. Everybody can be injured and also the captain can be injured."
Not only does his absence hit United's push for a top-four place in the Premier League, but it also is a worry for England coach Roy Hodgson with Euro 2016 only four months away.