Kyle Walker is facing an extended spell on the sidelines as AC Milan have announced that the defender has undergone surgery on a fracture to his right elbow.
The 34-year-old - on loan from Manchester City - sustained the injury during a training session on Tuesday and Milan have not put a timeframe on his recovery.
A statement from Milan on their official website read: "AC Milan can confirm that Kyle Walker sustained a fracture in his right elbow.
"To ensure better healing and optimise recovery time, the player underwent surgery in Milan to repair the olecranon through osteosynthesis.
"The operation went perfectly to plan. Kyle will begin rehabilitation immediately."
Walker is now in danger of missing the rest of the season as the recovery period from a fractured elbow can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
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Will Milan sign Walker permanently despite injury setback?
Walker joined Milan in January from Man City on an initial loan deal until the end of the season that includes a €5m (£4.2m) option to buy.
The England international made his debut for the Rossoneri on February 2 against city rivals Inter Milan, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw in Serie A.
Walker has started 11 of his 12 appearances for Sergio Conceicao's Milan in total across all competitions, but his most recent outing against Fiorentina last weekend could prove to be his last for the Italian giants if he does not recover before the season comes to a close and Milan opt against signing him permanently.
The experienced right-back suffered with a minor hamstring injury at Milan prior to undergoing elbow surgery and fitness/injury issues at his age - turning 35 at the end of May - are likely to be taken into account by the Rossoneri when they deliberate whether to sign him permanently this summer.
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Walker's Man City future remains up in the air
Earlier this month, Walker revealed on his own podcast - 'You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker' - that he is open to returning to Man City this summer, claiming "the chapter's not fully closed" at the Etihad Stadium.
Walker established himself as one of the best right-backs in world football during the prime years of his career at Man City, where he has made over 300 appearances and won a total of 17 trophies including six Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups and one Champions League.
However, Walker fell out of favour under manager Pep Guardiola during the first half of this season and was criticised for his inconsistent performances in the defence of a struggling Man City side towards the end of last year.
Guardiola was questioned about Walker's future at the end of last month and when asked if he still views the defender as his player at Man City, he simply replied: "No. He's a player for Milan".
Walker, who requested to leave Man City in January before joining Milan, has a contract at the Etihad until the summer of 2026 and his club future remains very much up in the air.
The potential departure of Walker, who is earning around £175,000 per week on his Man City contract, would help reduce the club's wage bill and enable them to recruit a younger right-back to compete with Rico Lewis, and potentially Matheus Nunes, next season.
Oliver Thomas
