Bournemouth have reportedly been dealt a blow after learning that goalkeeper Neto will likely be sidelined until 2023.
When the veteran stopper arrived from Barcelona in the summer, it was unclear whether he would break into the first team upon his arrival.
However, a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool and a change of manager led to the Brazilian being handed an opportunity by caretaker boss Gary O'Neil at the end of August.
Since then, the Cherries have put together an impressive run of results, Neto making his mark during a run which led to 10 points being collected from six matches.
The 33-year-old has since sustained a hamstring injury, however, with the goalkeeper needing to be withdrawn during the first half against West Ham United on Monday night.
With Neto initially attempting to continue, it may have been perceived that the issue was not too severe, keeping him in contention for a return before the World Cup.
© Reuters
However, according to talkSPORT, Bournemouth have learned that the new arrival will not be back in action until the Christmas period at the very earliest.
When O'Neil was quizzed on the status of Neto during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's fixture with Tottenham Hotspur, the Englishman appeared to confirm the accuracy of the report.
O'Neil said: "Neto will be out, he has an issue with his hamstring. We're not sure how long, but it won't be short term."
Mark Travers, who replaced Neto against the Hammers, is now in line to make his sixth Premier League appearance of the season.
The Republic of Ireland international will be looking to improve on a record of conceding 25 goals in eight previous top-flight outings, a ratio of shipping a goal every 27 minutes in what is the worst such rate in the division's history.
Darren Plant
