Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed that Adam Webster will undergo surgery on a knee ligament injury.
He said, “Adam suffered a knee ligament injury during training last week, and he will undergo surgery in the coming weeks.
“Unfortunately, it was a case of very bad luck. It’s a blow to Adam, after he’d come back in great shape for the new season.
“It’s also a blow for us, as he has been an important player for us; he is a big character and a leader within the squad.
“We’ll work with him over the months ahead to make sure he gets the best possible care and rehabilitation to get him back to full fitness as quickly as possible.
“It’s too early to put a timescale on his recovery period, but it’s fair to say he will miss a large part of the season.”
The head coach was speaking after Saturday's 2-0 win over Coventry City, as the team maintained their perfect record through pre-season thanks to goals in either half from Yasin Ayari and Abdullah Sima.
Diego Gomez went off with sickness, but is expected to be back training on Monday.
A number of players watched on from the sidelines, including Danny Welbeck, Olivier Boscagli, and Carlos Baleba — but are most are expected to return to training in the next few days.
Fabian added, “It was a good workout and is a good continuation of our pre-season preparations.
“We had a few players missing with minor issues, but those who played all came through without any major problems.
“With the exception of Adam and Solly March, who is a few weeks off being in full training, we expect to have everyone back within the next week or so.”