Inter Milan are set to be without midfielder Gary Medel for up to two months due to a knee injury he picked up in last weekend's Milan derby.
A scan has revealed the Chile midfielder will need an operation to fix a meniscus tear, forcing him out until January.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a return prior to the Nerazzurri's clash with Chievo on January 15 is unlikely, meaning he could miss up to six Serie A fixtures.
After discovering the diagnosis, Medel tweeted: "When you hit the bottom, you have to demonstrate to everybody that you have hit a springboard to come back even stronger."
The 29-year-old midfielder has played in all but three of Inter's league fixtures this season, missing their games against Torino, Sampdoria and Crotone due to a suspension handed out after video evidence was used to punish him for elbowing Atalanta's Jasmin Kurtic.
He lasted just 37 minutes of the derby, which Inter drew 2-2, before undergoing tests earlier this week.
Inter retweeted Medel's message, saying they expect him back soon, while his compatriot Arturo Vidal has also tweeted his support, saying: "Get well soon; come back stronger than ever!"