Reading defender Ibrahima Sonko has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Sonko sustained the problem as he landed awkwardly in the 3-1 victory over Sheffield United on January 20.
He has since missed the games against Birmingham and Wigan but Reading boss Steve Coppell had been hoping to see him back in action quickly.
However, Sonko will now miss the remainder of Reading's Premiership campaign after it was discovered that his cruciate ligaments were damaged.
"We will be missing Sonko for the rest of the season," Coppell confirmed on the club's official website.
"He's obviously an important player for us, but the signings we've made during the transfer window will help to compensate for his absence."