Blues striker Gassan Ahadme, who is on loan at Cambridge United for the season, is facing 10 weeks on the sidelines with a foot injury.
U’s manager Neil Harris confirmed that Ahadme, who had been in a rich vein of form having scored six goals in his last six matches, is facing a lengthy spell out.
"Gassan is not good news,” he told the Cambridge Independent. "He’s got a stress fracture of the foot, it’s going to be 10 weeks.
"We only have two number nines at the football club, two strikers at the football club and both are injured for two to three months. That’s a big blow.”
Overall, Ahadme has netted nine times in 17 starts and seven sub appearances for the League One side.
The 23-year-old’s Town contract runs to the summer of 2025 with the club having an option for a further season, however, it seems unlikely that the Spanish-born Moroccan will have a role to play at Portman Road going forward.
Ahadme netted once in one start and seven sub appearances for the Blues last season having joined from Burton Albion on deadline day in the summer. He spent the second half of last season back at the Pirelli Stadium.