HNK Hajduk Split striker Zvonimir Deranja is set to miss the majority of the season having undergone surgery on a serious knee injury.

Early injury
Deranja, who began the season as Hajduk captain, was substituted 24 minutes into the Croatian club's second league game of the campaign - a 4-1 defeat at the hands of NK Inker Zaprešic on 8 August - after damaging his left knee.

Long absence
Early medical opinions suggested rest and recuperation would be sufficient but the club resorted to surgery after a month and the 23-year-old, who has 49 league goals to his name, is unlikely to return to training until March at the earliest.