Cardiff City skipper Mark Hudson needs an operation on a split ankle tendon and will be out for 10 to 12 weeks.
Manager Dave Jones broke the news ahead of Saturday's Championship match at home to Doncaster and said: "Mark will be a big loss to us. I was trying to protect him by giving him a rest when I felt it was needed but unfortunately he split a tendon which compounded the problem he already had.
"He's struggling to walk and couldn't do himself or us justice so he has to go and have an operation.
"He's club captain and has got us into the position we're in and will be sadly missed during the weeks he's out.
"We have other leaders who I hope will step into Huds' shoes and do he was doing.
"I can't afford to lose anybody but to lose him and Joe Ledley for the weeks they will be out is a massive loss because they are big players. Joe was playing some of his best football but he couldn't carry on and went for the operation on his hips.
"We've got Kevin McNaughton and Stevie Mac coming back and over the next few weeks if everything goes to plan. And hopefully Kelvin Etuhu will be back over the next few weeks.
"I'm disappointed like everybody else that players aren't coming in. But I've just got to get on with it. We'll all have to up our game, keep fit and keep going. Everybody is disappointed - the fans, the players, the board, myself, my management team, my coaching side, everybody is disappointed.
"My job is to get a team out on the pitch and hope the fans continue to give us the support they've given us. If anybody is thinking of coming tomorrow to vent their anger, then don't come.
"We're waiting on Kevin McNaughton. He trained today and we'll see how he came through but we think he's going to be OK. Looking at him today, unless there's any reaction, and I don't think there will be, he should be involved with us tomorrow.
"There were two or three players lined up to go out but I've had to tell them yesterday that I can't let people go and cut my squad down, so they will have to stay. They weren't very happy with that, but they are employed by us and they will have to be with us.
"Their professionalism and attitude has been spot-on. Everybody here understands the situation because I've told them as much as I know. I've said that we don't use it as an excuse, we get on and do our job.
"The chairman will try and keep on getting the investors in. He feels he has let me down and I will try and help him by keeping it going until we get the investors we want.
"He has delivered a lot of things at this club, like the new stadium, which a lot of people thought would never be delivered. I saw him after the Press conference yesterday and he looked disappointed and devastated that he can't bring players in for me.
"But what do we do? Do we lie down and die or do we come out fighting? I hope he comes out fighting and delivers what he said he would deliver.
"At the moment everybody is very low but we remember what we all here for, which is to take the club forward."
Dave revealed later that Joe Ledley had come through the first of two operations on his hips.
