NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Newcastle defender Sven Botman was ruled out for up to nine months on Thursday after sustaining a serious knee injury.

The Netherlands center back injured his ACL in the 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

“He is expected to return to action within six to nine months,” Newcastle said.

Botman missed nearly three months in the first half this season because of a knee injury but elected at the time for a non-surgical rehabilitation plan.

His latest injury is a big blow to Newcastle’s hopes of qualifying for a European competition for next season. The team is in 10th place, four points behind West Ham in seventh.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer