Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik faces another four months on the sidelines after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee -- just under a year after tearing the same ligament in his left knee.
Milik, 23, pulled up towards the end of Napoli's 3-2 win over SPAL at the weekend after picking up the injury off the ball and tried to cover his face with his hand as he limped away.
Preliminary tests performed in Naples on Sunday indicated that the player and Napoli's worst fears would be confirmed.
"From the tests carried out at the Pineta Grande clinic, it has emerged the possibility that Milik may need an operation," said a tweet, which was followed by another confirming he would visit Rome's Villa Stuart clinic on Monday to confirm the extent of the damage.
Dagli esami effettuati alla clinica Pineta Grande, per Milik è emersa la possibilità di una soluzione chirurgica.
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) September 24, 2017
On Monday, the Serie A club confirmed on their website that Milik had already undergone surgery in the capital, and that he can be expected to "return in a similar time to his last injury," adding that the tear was "not isolated but complex."
The Poland international injured his left knee on Oct. 10, 2016, and did not return to action until the following February.
A similar spell on the sidelines is now being reported with Milik limited to just 28 appearances, in which he has scored 10 goals, since joining the Azzurri from Ajax last summer.
He scored one in three Serie A outings this season, with a goal also in the Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk.