Nicolò Barella has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, according to Inter Milan's medical staff.
The Italy international suffered the setback in Tuesday's Serie A game against Genoa, which saw him stretchered off after just eight minutes on the pitch.
Barella, who joined Inter from Juventus in January this year, is expected to be sidelined until at least March.
Inter have confirmed that he will undergo surgery and is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign.
The 24-year-old was one of the club's standout performers last term,Football News Flash making 38 appearances across all competitions as they finished runners-up in the league.
However, his absence could leave them short in midfield ahead of the crucial Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain on April 15th.
Despite his injury, Inter are still hopeful of reaching the knockout stages, with a win over Lazio in their next match on Sunday providing some much-needed morale boost.