Huddersfield Town defender Tommy Elphick is set to have knee surgery on Monday, following an injury he sustained in last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Preston North End, Terriers manager Danny Cowley has confirmed.

Elphick was forced off just 20 minutes into the loss at Deepdale following a heavy challenge from North End midfielder Ryan Ledson, with Jon Gorenc Stankovic coming on in his place.

The defender has since undergone scans which have revealed Elphick has sustained ligament damage to his right knee, with the 31-year-old now set to have surgery to establish just how long he will be absent for.

Speaking to Huddersfield's official website to provide an update on Elphick's situation, Cowley said: “Unfortunately, Tommy’s scans revealed that he needs surgery on his knee. Off the back of this, we will have a clear idea on how long he will be out of action for."

Discussing the impact that Elphick's absence could have on his side, the Terriers boss added: “He was a big part of this team both as a player and a character. We will certainly miss his leadership qualities.

“His focus is now on making the quickest recovery possible. He is a resilient and determined person, so I have no doubt he will return fitter and stronger than ever.”

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Elphick joined Huddersfield on a two-year deal during the summer transfer window, following his release from newly-promoted Premier League side Aston Villa at the end of last season.

The defender has so far made 14 league appearances for Huddersfield in the current campaign, with Saturday's defeat at Deepdale bringing an end to a seven-game unbeaten run to leave the Terriers 19th in the current Championship standings.

The Verdict

This looks like a big blow to Huddersfield.

The fact that Elphick is set for surgery on this injury does not look good, since it suggests that the defender will not be making a quick return to action.

Given he has remained a regular feature throughout the season despite making several errors, suggests that Elphick would still have been a key figure for Huddersfield going forward this season, meaning he could be a big miss.

Given their resurgence prior to that defeat to Preston, it will be interesting to see if this is a setback that Huddersfield can overcome as they look to continue to climb back up the Championship table.