Huddersfield Town revealed on Wednesday that defender Tommy Elphick is set to have surgery on his knee following a ligament injury sustained in the 3-1 defeat to Preston North End on Saturday.

The 32-year-old became Town's first summer signing, after leaving Aston Villa as a free agent in the summer, and has since made 14 Championship appearances for the Terriers.

Elphick brings a wealth of Championship experience to a Town side who spent the last two previous seasons in the Premier League.

The defender played every league game in Bournemouth's title winning season in 2014-2015 and has since featured for Hull City and Aston Villa in the second-tier.

Elphick had to be substituted in the 20th minute of the defeat at Preston following a foul from a Preston player.

Following the news on Wednesday, the player took to Twitter to express his feelings in the wake of his setback.

"Gutted is an understatement, especially as I had no control over the situation and it was something so reckless," Elphick wrote on Wednesday.

"Hopefully Monday goes well. Looking forward to another challenge getting back as quick and strong as possible whilst still contributing to the group in the meantime UTT," he added.

The Verdict

This setback for the Terriers is no doubt a huge blow for both the club and the player.

At 32, an injury like this could potentially halt Elphick's playing career for an unwanted amount of time and the defender will be eager to get back up to fitness as soon as possible.

Since his arrival at the John Smith's Stadium, Elphick has featured in all but two of Town's league games and his absence will no doubt be a blow to manager Danny Cowley.

Elphick has played a pivotal role in Town's mini-revival under Cowley, having played every minute since the manager's arrival up until Saturday.