Hull City captain Michael Dawson has been ruled out for three months after suffering a knee injury during a pre-season fixture at Mansfield Town last night.
Scans revealed that the centre-back had sustained "significant medial collateral ligament injury" in a challenge during the game and will now be required to wear a leg brace for the next six weeks.
The news means that Dawson, who joined the Tigers from Tottenham Hotspur in 2014, will miss Hull's first six games upon their return to the Premier League.
The club has also confirmed that Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore will both be out for two weeks with Achilles and ankle complaints respectively.
Longer-term injuries include Allan McGregor, who will be out until next year following back surgery, and Alex Bruce, who will spend at least six months on the sidelines following surgery "to remove a bony prominence in his foot".
