Jean-Philippe Gbamin is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an Achilles injury in Everton training on Thursday.
The midfielder, who joined the club from Mainz in the summer, picked up his latest injury at Finch Farm as the Blues have stepped up their preparations for next months return of the Premier League.
The 24-year-old has played just 135 minutes for his new club following his transfer after injuring his right quadriceps tendon in August ahead of his side's trip to face Aston Villa.
The Ivory Coast international had surgery on the issue in February and had been conducting rehabilitation from home during lockdown before Everton returned to Finch Farm last week.
Gbamin was originally hoping to be fit before the end of the current term, which is set to get back underway in June.
However, the midfielder's latest injury setback will rule him out for several months after Everton confirmed he'll need surgery.
A short statement read: "Jean-Philippe Gbamin is set to undergo surgery next week after suffering a serious Achilles injury in training.
"It is expected the midfielder, 24, will then require an extensive period of rehabilitation.
"The injury, sustained in a non-contact situation at USM Finch Farm, is unrelated to the quadriceps problem Gbamin had been working his way back from since August last year.
"Everyone at the Club is devastated for JP and we will ensure he gets all the support he needs throughout this challenging time."
