Tuesday 23 September 2014 23:54, UK
Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse is facing 10 weeks on the sidelines with a fractured foot.
The 19-year-old sustained the injury during Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League victory at Swansea and was stretchered off after 69 minutes at the Liberty Stadium.
He was ruled out of Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Arsenal in the Capital One Cup as a result - the first Saints match the academy graduate has missed this season.
Manager Ronald Koeman had still been hopeful he would be fit to return to Premier League action in the home match against QPR this weekend.
However, scans have shown Ward-Prowse has a fracture in his foot which is likely to rule him out of action for the next 10 weeks, meaning he will be missing for Saints and the England Under-21s in the upcoming European Championship play-off with Croatia.
"We're very disappointed about that, but that's football and that can happen," Koeman said. "It's unlucky but okay.
"The boy has to keep going and it's difficult because he had a great start to the season, but it's part of the football and he will come back."
