Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin is set to miss the rest of the season after tearing a cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The 24-year-old was in tears as he was forced off after just eight minutes of Sunday's 1-0 Serie A defeat to Roma, having injured himself shortly after making a stunning reaction save to keep out an Edin Dzeko effort.
Perin only returned to action in September after suffering the same injury in his other knee last April, which ruled him out of Italy's Euro 2016 campaign.
"Genoa announces that the results of the medical test that goalkeeper Mattia Perin has undergone showed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee," a club statement confirmed.
"Surgery is expected to be carried out in the coming days."
A number of Serie A players posted messages of support on social media, including Perin's former team-mate Leonardo Pavoletti, who has joined Napoli.
A mano a mano ti accorgi che il vento Ti soffia sul viso e ti ruba un sorriso La bella stagione che sta per finire Ti...
Posted by Leonardo Pavoletti on Sunday, 8 January 2017
