Coventry City manager Mark Robins has confirmed that captain Liam Kelly has suffered a serious hamstring injury and is set to miss several months of action as a result of this issue.
The midfielder sustained this injury during the opening stages of the Sky Blues' pre-season friendly with Oxford United last weekend.
Kelly would have been hoping to feature regularly for Coventry at the start of the 2022/23 campaign after missing a considerable chunk of action in the previous campaign due to a separate hamstring injury.
However, the 32-year-old will now be forced to watch on from the sidelines again as the Sky Blues aim to make a positive start to the new term.
In the 16 appearances that he was able to make for the club last season, Kelly managed to demonstrate glimpses of promise in the Championship.
The midfielder scored what turned out to be his only goal of the campaign in the club's 3-2 victory over Bristol City last November.
Following Coventry's pre-season friendly with Walsall last night, Robins opted to share an injury update on Kelly.
Speaking to Coventry Live about the midfielder, Robins said: "He's going to be missing for a significant period.
"He's got a serious tear to his hamstring.
"I don't know what the timescale is but it's going to be a while and I don't think we will see him this side of the international break or possibly the World Cup.
"He has worked hard and it's devastating for everyone.
"He got through the summer fit or not injured, and worked like he always does into pre-season and he's looked really strong.
"And then six minutes into a game on Saturday and he does that.
"It's a blow, there's no doubt about it and we just have to support him through it and through his rehab."
The Verdict
This is a significant setback for Coventry as they would have been hoping to turn to Kelly for inspiration in the opening stages of the 2022/23 campaign.
Having played 58 games at this level during his career, Kelly would have been confident in his ability to deliver the goods in the Championship when called upon.
However, with Kelly now set to be out of action for a considerable period of time, Coventry will need the likes of Gustavo Hamer, Kasey Palmer and Ben Sheaf to step up to the mark in his absence.
When the midfielder makes his return to fitness, the Sky Blues may find it beneficial to ease him back into action as this will minimise the risk of him suffering another injury blow.