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Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic is set for another significant spell on the sidelines as he prepares for a second surgery this year.
Kovacic, 31, has missed the majority of this season after undergoing an operation on his achilles ahead of the Club World Cup in the summer.
The Croatian midfielder returned from injury briefly to make substitute appearances against Everton in the Premier League and Villarreal in the Champions League.
However, Kovacic felt discomfort in the achilles once more and will now undergo another surgery, which will keep him out until February at the earliest.
'He will be out for a while,' Pep Guardiola said last week. 'He still has a problem with the ankle, a little calcification still there.
'We'll wait on him for the last part of the season.'
Mateo Kovacic is to undergo another achilles surgery which will keep him out for four months
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic has raised concerns about Kovacic missing next year's World Cup
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic raised concerns when he expressed hope that Kovacic 'won't miss the World Cup'.
But while Kovacic is set to be out for the best part of four months due to the latest achilles problem, it is expected that he should return in time to build match fitness ahead of the World Cup.
There is a strong possibility that Kovacic will return in time to partake in the March internationals with Croatia.
'We believe he'll be with us at the World Cup,' Dalic continued. 'I'd like him to be back in March. It must be tough for him. The injury and the surgery are taking a psychological toll on him. I hope Kovacic gets through it all.'
Injury problems have been rife in the middle of the park for City this season, with Rodri, too, struggling to keep fit after his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last season.
However, in more positive news, Guardiola expects the Spaniard to return to the side after the international break.
Ahead of City's win over Liverpool on Sunday, Guardiola said: 'We won't take a risk ahead of the international break. We have to find the moment he feels strong and fit to sustain the actions in the game properly.
'Still we are in November, and the best of the season is ahead of us and we need him. We are playing without the Ballon d'Or winner of two seasons ago, and a massively important player for us.
'Nico [Gonzalez] is becoming a really good, important player.'
