Manchester City have confirmed that Paulo Wanchope will miss the remainder of the season after dislocating his shoulder in a training ground accident.
The 26-year-old Costa Rica striker has not played a game this season, having spent six months recovering from knee surgery.
However, his comeback plans were shelved after he injured himself in training last weekend.
“Paulo will be out for the rest of the season,” said City manager Kevin Keegan.
“It is a big blow for us and for him. He had worked so hard to get back fit again. He was back in training and training verywell. It was a freak accident, an innocuous thing. His shoulder came out when he fell – now he will have to have surgery.”