Cardiff City have revealed that Joe Ledley will be out for the rest of the season once he has double hip surgery at the end of January.
The Bluebirds hope the midfielder will play in as many as the next four games before heading for the operating table.
Ledley, 22, will have surgery on one hip first with further treatment on the other to follow 10 days later.
The Wales international's contract ends at the end of the season so the next games could be his last for the club.
Ledley has been heavily linked with a move to Scottish giants Celtic over recent weeks, but any sale during the January transfer window has now been scuppered by this development.
Cardiff have already rejected a £6m offer from Stoke City, and now the club face losing one of their prized assets for nothing in the summer when Ledley's contract expires.
The Bluebirds could claim compensation if he moves to another English league club, but they would not receive a penny if he moved abroad.
If an English league footballer who has been at a club before the age of 23 moves to another domestic club, the old club can seek compensation from a Football Association tribunal for developing him.
If a home-grown player moves abroad before his 23rd birthday, the development club can also seek minimal compensation. But, if he moves abroad after his 23rd birthday, then the developing club cannot claim anything.
Ledley celebrates his 23rd birthday on 21 January so clubs from Scotland, or any foreign country for that matter, could sign him for no fee and no compensation in the summer.
Cardiff have been trying without success for the past four months to convince the 32-capped international to sign a new contract.
Ledley's representatives feel their client's wages should match his standing at the club as one of the key players.
Manager Dave Jones says he hopes the club will continue with those contract negotiations and that Ledley will eventually opt to stay with his home-town club.
"I hope he decides to stay with us," said Jones. "If he doesn't then we'll go down the compensation rule if he stays within the boundaries of what he can claim."
The hip injury has plagued Ledley all season, but Cardiff have tried to delay the inevitable need for treatment for as long as possible.
But Jones says the surgery, which will clear up the effects of "wear and tear" cannot be put off any longer.
"It needs to be done and to be fair to Joe he's carried on and carried on," he added.
"The formation that we play has probably helped him a little bit as well by taking a bit of the pressure off him.
"When the day comes for him to go in [for the surgery] I hope that won't be the last time we see him in a blue shirt, but if it is, that's football for you."
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