Defenders Mark McGuinness and Ciaron Brown could be out for up to a month with ankle injuries, Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy has confirmed.
McGuinness, who was signed from Arsenal in the summer, was solid on his Bluebirds debut against Barnsley on Saturday, while Brown featured sporadically during the pre-season campaign.
Neither were named in McCarthy's squad for the Carabao Cup triumph over Sutton United on Tuesday night, though, and it has since come to light that they are both sidelined with injuries.
READ MORE: Bluebirds beat Sutton United to progress to Carabao Cup second round
The best prognosis is that they are absent for two weeks, but McCarthy also believes it could be up to four.
"We've got Mark McGuinness and Ciaron Brown injured, already, and they could be out for two or three weeks each," McCarthy said after the 3-2 win over the Us.
"So, all of a sudden, we have gone from five centre-backs to three centre-backs. And that could happen in any position.
"Both are ankle injuries. Both are severe enough. It could be three or four weeks.
"The two lads are saying it'll be two weeks, I hope that's the case, but we will see."
The Bluebirds progressed through to the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, however with that comes an added fixture in this hectic period at the beginning of the season.
It means, before the international break at the start of September, Cardiff now have five fixtures in the league and cup over the next two weeks.
Cardiff now have only three recognised centre-backs available - Sean Morrison, Aden Flint and Curtis Nelson - and will all have to play every minute over the coming weeks, unless McCarthy reverts to the Marlon Pack 'sweeper' experiment we saw at the tail end of last season.
Given Tuesday was Morrison's first full game back after his elbow dislocation and Nelson has not long recovered from a hernia operation, the coming weeks are set to be taxing for the experienced trio at the back.
This could well have transfer ramifications, too. McCarthy recently stated that Brown would stay at Cardiff after Neil Warnock and Middlesbrough failed to meet the Bluebirds' valuation of the Northern Ireland international.
Brown's recent ankle injury will likely act as the final nail in that transfer coffin.
