Coventry City will be without their top scorer Haji Wright for Friday's Premier League opener at Arsenal, with Frank Lampard confirming the striker faces up to three months out with a serious quad injury.
The blow lands at the worst possible moment for the Sky Blues, who travel to the Emirates Stadium for their first top-flight fixture in 25 years hoping to spring a shock against the reigning champions.
Wright was the driving force behind Coventry's Championship title win last season, scoring 17 goals to fire the club back into the Premier League, and his absence leaves a significant gap up front just as the club's biggest test of the campaign arrives.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Lampard confirmed the extent of the issue.
"Haji Wright won't be available for the Arsenal game," Lampard told reporters. "He won't be available for a little while, he's got a very serious quad injury which is disappointing for Haji and for us.
"It's certainly going to be a number of weeks, could even be up to 12 weeks."
The 28-year-old United States international missed Coventry's final two pre-season friendlies against Espanyol and Monaco, and the club now face the prospect of navigating the opening weeks of their Premier League return without their leading marksman.
Lampard does at least have options to call upon. Taiwo Awoniyi and Sidiki Cherif both arrived this summer, from Nottingham Forest and Fenerbahce respectively, for a reported combined fee of just under £30m, and either could be handed a Coventry debut at the Emirates. Ellis Simms represents another route to goal, the former Everton forward having scored 13 Championship goals last season, a return bettered only by Wright across the entire squad.
There was better news elsewhere in the squad. Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Rudoni, who both battled fitness issues during pre-season, are in contention to face Arsenal, giving Lampard at least some reinforcements to call upon for a daunting first test of life back among England's elite.
Wright's importance to Lampard's plans had already been underlined before the injury struck.
The manager had spoken glowingly of the forward's competitive edge ahead of the new season, pointing to a hat-trick against Middlesbrough last term as evidence of the qualities he will now be without at kick-off. Coventry have also made central midfield a priority this window, breaking their transfer record to sign Caleb Yirenkyi for a reported £23.1m, underlining the scale of the club's ambition as they prepare for their first Premier League campaign in a quarter of a century.
For all the reinforcements, none of them offer a direct replacement for Wright's goal return, and Lampard will be acutely aware that Coventry's survival hopes may hinge on how quickly his misfiring options can find their feet at the highest level.