Manchester City confirmed skipper Alex Greenwood has undergone successful knee surgery.
The England defender injured her Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) during City's Champions League victory over St Polten last week.
It was initially feared Greenwood had suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear, as she left the field on a stretcher following a collision with St Polten forward Melanie Brunnthaler.
While City did not disclose a timeframe for the 31-year-old's return, an MCL injury generally requires a shorter recovery period.
"Not the ending to 2024 that I had planned," Greenwood wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a photo of her in a hospital bed. "I will work so hard to be back on the pitch as soon as I can."
The City skipper joins the likes of Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw in the club's treatment room, with Gareth Taylor's side second in the Women's Super League and six points behind leaders Chelsea.
Greenwood is also likely to miss England's Nations League matches against Spain and Portugal in February, but will hope to return in time for April's double-header against Belgium.
