Sassuolo star Armand Laurienté is out for the rest of the season after undergoing keyhole surgery on his right knee.
According to a statement on the official club website, the operation had been planned for some time to stabilise the lateral meniscus and was therefore scheduled for a time to cause the minimum disruption to the squad.
He went under the knife at the Privatklinik Hochrum in Innsbruck, accompanied by Sassuolo chief medic Dr Riccardo Saporiti.
Due to the timing of the operation, the season is over for Laurienté, but the attacking winger will be available from the start of pre-season training in the summer.
The 24-year-old has been a revelation in his debut Serie A campaign, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 28 games for the Neroverdi.
It is a great tally for a player that was signed from FC Lorient on transfer deadline day for just over €10m.