James Tomkins has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed.
The 30-year-old limped out of his side's 1-0 Premier League win over Newcastle United last weekend with a groin injury and has undergone surgery this week.
The former West Ham defender will miss the Eagles' remaining five games of the season, starting with the visit of Manchester City to Selhurst Park on Sunday.
No timescale has been put on Mamadou Sakho's return from a knee injury either, which means Hodgson will start with Scott Dann and Martin Kelly in the heart of his defence for the clash with Pep Guardiola's title-chasing side.
"Those two [Tomkins and Sakho] have been such important pillars in the centre of our defence and helped us get where we are," the former England manager told a media conference on Friday.
"It is a big ask for Scott Dann and Martin Kelly. They're going to have to step into some quite big shoes but I am confident that they can do that, and they will get their first chance on Sunday."
