England keeper Fraser Forster ruled out for up to nine months
Posted Thursday, March 26, 2015 by Dailystar.co.uk
Southampton and England goalkeeper Fraser Forster has been ruled out for up to nine months with a broken knee cap.
Forster was carried off on a stretcher during Saints' 2-0 win over Burnley on Saturday.
He underwent "successful" surgery on his left knee but Saints boss Ronald Koeman will now need to delve into the transfer market over the summer.
Veteran club captain Kelvin Davis, 38, will deputise for the rest of this term but Koeman will want a younger option for the start of next season.
Saints director of football Les Reed said: "Fraser is an outstanding goalkeeper and has been a huge part of our success this season."
"While this is a challenging situation, we look forward to him returning to action as soon as he is fully fit."
"I am sure he will go on to make a significant number of appearances for Southampton and for England, and will get the best support available to help him recover to do so."
NIGHTMARE: Fraser Forster has suffered a broken knee cap
Forster's absence means England are short on cover for Joe Hart with Ben Foster also out for the rest of the season.
Forster has been in superb form since his £10m move from Celtic last summer, helping Saints to the best defensive record in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Koeman will sign Feyenoord midfielder Tonny Vilhena in the summer after the Dutch international flew in for secret talks.
Vilhena travelled to England on March 3, the day Saints beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at St Mary's.
Koeman tried to buy Vilhena on transfer deadline day but was unwilling to meet his old club's £5m asking price.
The Saints boss sees Vilhena, 20, as a ready-made replacement for Morgan Schneiderlin, who is poised to quit at the end the season.
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