Sabri Lamouchi fears Cardiff City's top goalscorer Callum Robinson could miss the crucial last eight games of the season as the Bluebirds' fight for survival reaches crunch point.
Robinson suffered an injury during the win over Reading last month, but was kept on for much of the closing stages of the match despite being in visible discomfort and limping around the pitch.
That hamstring injury has proved costly. Initially, it was thought Robinson would be out until after the international break, but when he was ruled out of the Swansea City game last week, further doubts emerged over his availability for the rest of the campaign.
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And now, with almost exactly a month left of the campaign, it appears increasingly likely we won't see Robinson, who is the club's top scorer with seven goals and six assists this season, feature again before the season ends.
"I’m worried and afraid (he will be out) until the end of the season," Lamouchi said of Robinson's injury.
"We have a lot of games in April and in one month everything will be finished. When you stop for one month, you need a minimum of one month to come back.
"I prefer to be honest. He is doing his best to come back as soon as possible, he is working morning and afternoon, twice a day, but it will probably not be enough."
Lamouchi did say, though, that in his most optimistic view, Robinson might make it back for Rotherham, Huddersfield Town and Burnley, the last three games of the campaign, but didn't appear to hold out too much hope.
In better news, Perry Ng, who went off late on against the Swans and looked to be in serious pain, trained on Wednesday and will train again on Thursday, so it looks likely he will make the trip to Blackpool.
However, Kion Etete, who was taken off with an injury in the abandoned Rotherham game, looks to have been ruled out, while Callum O'Dowda remains a serious doubt after he was taken off at half-time in the South Wales derby.
"Robinson will not be with us. Kion Etete as well. Callum O’Dowda will try to do the session today. He is a big doubt," Lamouchi added.
"Perry Ng trained yesterday and will train today. This is the squad for Blackpool."
He added: "I was thinking [Etete] would be ready for this game. Unfortunately it's too short. So, we will see for the next one, Sunderland, on Monday. It's just a hamstring in the last game.
"And Callum O'Dowda is exactly the same (injury he picked up while on duty with Republic of Ireland)."
It looks likely, then, that it will be all hands to the pump as Cardiff travel to Bloomfield Road for a crucial clash against relegation rivals Blackpool this weekend.
A win for the hosts would seem them leap up to within one point of Cardiff, while the Bluebirds, who have a game in hand on the bottom three but sit outside the relegation zone only on goal difference, are looking for their first win in four games.
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