Joe Ralls will miss the final stages of Cardiff City’s battle to avoid Premier League relegation because of a torn hamstring.
Ralls suffered the injury during last Sunday’s 2-0 home loss to Liverpool.
A calf injury means Cardiff could also be without Harry Arter for the trip to Fulham, managed by the Bournemouth loanee’s brother-in-law Scott Parker.
“You just don’t know with Harry from one day to the next,” said Cardiff boss Neil Warnock.
“His brother-in-law’s Scott Parker. So we’re banning him from watching us train this week, just in case he’s going to Fulham next year!
“Joe will be out for the rest of the season. There’s no point in me telling you anything different.
“He’ll hopefully be ready for pre-season. I don’t really know the categories of injuries, but it’s a tear in his hamstring and he’ll be about eight weeks.”
With three games left this season, Cardiff are 18th in the Premier League table, three points adrift of safety.
Brighton are one place above them and, as well as a three-point cushion over their rivals, the Seagulls also boast a goal difference 13 better than the Bluebirds.
This weekend’s results could have a major bearing on the final standings, with Cardiff away at Fulham at 15:00 on Saturday.
Then at 17:30 on the same day, Brighton host a Newcastle side who have guaranteed their survival with victories in both their previous matches.
The fact that Cardiff even have a chance of keeping their place in the Premier League is some achievement, considering how they were earmarked as relegation certainties by bookmakers and pundits following their promotion from the Championship last season.
And although that promotion itself came against the odds, Warnock believes securing survival would be the greatest achievement of his 39-year managerial career.
“I think everybody knows the pundits didn’t give us any chance whatsoever of staying up and quite rightly so when you look at the different circumstances between ourselves and the other clubs,” said the 70-year-old veteran of eight promotions.
“But we’ve never ever thrown the towel in. Even with heavy defeats we’ve had, we’ve always come back and tried to get back.
“We appreciate what our fans have been like. Our fans have been behind us all season and if anything have got louder and louder.
“Once they see you’re trying hard they can forgive you other things, fans, and I think they know we’ve put every ounce in.
“I know I couldn’t have done any more myself. It’s probably the hardest season I’ve had and it would be my biggest achievement by an absolute mile.”
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