Manchester City's Serbian center-back Matija Nastasic will be sidelined for four to six weeks, the English Premier League football club said on Tuesday.
This means the 20-year-old will miss the first month of the upcoming new season, which will start with a home match where City hosts Newcastle United on August 19.
Nastasic was stretchered off with an ankle injury during a pre-season game against Sunderland in Hong Kong last month.
England international Joleon Lescott is likely to replace Nastasic.