Werder Bremen midfielder Mehmet Ekici will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing groin surgery on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old is scheduled to leave the clinic at the end of the week, when he will be treated to outpatient therapy, but it is currently unknown when the Turkey international will make a return to full fitness.
"Since it was a complicated procedure, any comment about his recovery time is pure speculation," said team doctor Gotz Dimanski on Werder's official website.
"It's certain though that it will take clearly longer than a non-complicated groin operation of six weeks."
Sporting director Klaus Allofs acknowledged that Ekici's surgery would end his season prematurely, but was adamant it was the correct decision.
"The operation was necessary because more and more scar tissue had built up as a consequence of an operation on both groins in 2010 when Ekici was under contract with Bayern Munich," said Allofs.
Ekici arrived at the Weserstadion last summer, and has made 21 Bundesliga appearances this season.
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