Milan confirmed that defender Pierre Kalulu has gone under the knife for a torn tendon and will be out of action for at least four months.
The club had already feared the worst when he limped off during the opening minutes of the 2-2 draw with Napoli at the weekend.
He required a specialist consultation, which confirmed the complete rupture of the left rectus femoris tendon.
Kalulu had surgery in Finland today, performed by Professor Lasse Lempainen in the presence of Milan medical chief Stefano Mazzoni and it was βa complete success.β
The recovery time in the statement is estimated to be βaround four monthsβ and that means he could only recover for the final portion of the season.
It is a huge blow, as Kalulu already missed several games this season with another muscular injury.
He can play as a centre-back, on the right or left of the defence, so his absence leaves the Rossoneri badly short-staffed in that area.