Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while playing for Belgium at the World Cup.
The 24-year-old was substituted 21 minutes into his side’s 4-1 win over the United States in the last 16.
Onana had gone down clutching his right knee after trying to get to the ball before Christian Pulisic.
After being treated on the pitch he limped off and was later seen on crutches and wearing a knee brace.
In a statement, Belgium team doctor Brahim Hacene said the outcome was “devastating news”.
“Unfortunately, the medical examinations have confirmed that Amadou has suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament,” he said.
“We immediately consulted with Amadou and with Aston Villa to agree on the best approach to his recovery. Over the coming days, we will jointly determine the next steps in his medical treatment and rehabilitation.
“We will continue to provide Amadou with our full support.”
Belgium said Onana would stay with the squad for their quarter-final against Spain in Los Angeles on Friday (20:00 BST).
Partial tears or ruptures of the ACL typically lead to players being unavailable for between six and nine months.
