Norwich midfielder Alex Pritchard needs surgery on his injured ankle and will be out for a minimum of three months, the Championship club have announced.
Pritchard, 24, missed the Canaries' opening two games after he was carried off on a stretcher during a friendly win at Cambridge last month, and boss Daniel Farke confirmed the club's worst fears.
"It's bad news for Alex Pritchard," Farke told Norwich's official website. "He needs an operation so we will have to do without him for at least 12 weeks.
"We hope he will be able to return in the middle of November, then will need time when he's back in training.
"He's a key player for us but sometimes in football there are injuries. We have to handle it, and we will."
Norwich signed Pritchard from Tottenham in the summer of 2016 for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £8 million.
The former England Under-21 international scored seven goals in a total of 35 appearances for the Canaries last season.