Birmingham City striker Mikael Forssell faces a month out to have surgery on a hernia problem.
The Finland international has been dogged by injury problems, most notably a knee complaint for the past three seasons.
And Blues manager Steve Bruce admitted Forssell needs to go under the knife sooner rather than later to try and minimise the time he will be sidelined.
Bruce said: "Mikael will go into hospital on Monday. It looks like he has got a hernia problem and we will do something about it as quickly as we possibly can. He will miss the Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers games. These things usually take three to four weeks.
many knockbacks
"You feel sorry for the lad because he has had so many knockbacks in recent years but kept persevering. This season, he came back looking sharp and we wondered if he was finally over everything and this will be another blow to him."
Bruce confirmed that keeper Richard Kingson will be available to face the Red Devils on Saturday after suffering a bang to the head against Blackburn in the mid-week Carling Cup tie.
He said: "He's going to be okay. It was a bit of a worry at the time but he is in and we think he is fine."
Forssell faces surgery
Albion chief plays down Gold link
Brighton chairman Dick Knight insists that his Birmingham counterpart David Gold has not contacted him to express any interest in investing in Brighton.
Gold had been linked with a possible future investment in the Seagulls.
Under FA and Football League rules, he cannot invest in another club while he has a shareholding in Birmingham.
"David Gold has made no contact with myself or anyone directly connected with the football club," Knight told BBC Southern Counties Radio.
"He has done a fantastic job at Birmingham and respects what we have done. I would be happy to sit down and have a chat with him."
However, Gold and his fellow directors - his brother Ralph Gold, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and Roger Bannister - all sold some of their shares to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung over the summer.
Yeung is now the Blues' largest single shareholder, owning 29.9% of the company, while the Gold brothers hold 23.22% - having sold 14.81% to Yeung.
But if Gold were to dispose of his remaining shares, he would be free to buy into another club.
Knight added: "The present board has picked the club up by its boot straps and invested £9m.
"I've always known once the battle for the stadium was won by the club and supporters, then all sorts of potential investors would emerge"
"Myself and the existing board have a job to complete to deliver the stadium and I am going to do it... most Albion fans would agree I have every right to do so.
"Anyone who's got any sense about trying to take over Brighton right now would be foolish. We have a long-term relationship with the council for example.
"I am never going to say I would cling on to power - but I don't see why this is a debate now."
Kingson released from hospital
Birmingham goalkeeper Richard Kingson has been released from hospital a day after a head-injury scare.
The Ghana international was stretchered off when he collided with a goal post during his side's 3-0 League Cup loss to Blackburn Rovers.
But the 29-year-old says he is now ready to return: "I feel fully fit and the doctors think the same."
"I thank God I have been released from hospital and I now plan to return to training with my team," Kingson said.
"I didn't know what had happened until I regained consciousness in the hospital and thankfully I didn't have any cuts whatsoever."
Despite the accident, Kingson says he is not afraid to make daring saves in future.
'Brave saves'
"I will not unnecessarily endanger my life but I will go for the ball with the same hunger as I did before.
"That's the nature of my job," he said.
"I want to defend Birmingham to make sure we win all matches so this accident won't prevent me from making the brave saves."
Birmingham manager Steve Bruce was relieved to have his player given the all-clear.
"He was a little dazed and confused but that is understandable.
"But he has now had all the relevant tests as a precaution and I'm relieved to say he is absolutely fine."
Birmingham 1-0 Bolton
Birmingham secured their first home league win of the season thanks to Olivier Kapo's close-range effort.
The excellent Sebastian Larsson clipped in a pin-point cross for the unmarked Kapo, who stretched to poke home.
The hosts were rarely troubled by a lacklustre Bolton side whose best chance was a Daniel Braaten run and shot that was blocked by Stephen Kelly.
Larsson hit the bar from a free-kick and despite a late siege on their goal, the Blues held out for a deserved win.
The result leaves under-pressure Bolton boss Sammy Lee still chasing his first away win of the season and languishing in the bottom three. Birmingham, though, recorded a much-needed win and their first clean sheet of the campaign.
Birmingham manager Steve Bruce made three changes from the side beaten at Middlesbrough a fortnight ago with Franck Queudrue, Gary McSheffrey and Mehdi Nafti recalled in place of Radhi Jaidi, Stuart Parnaby and Mikael Forssell.
And the changes invigorated the hosts who adopted a more lively tempo and seldom looked like conceding.
Jussi Jaaskelainen was forced to turn a glancing header from Fabrice Muamba around the post from a Larsson free-kick, while the ever-threatening Swede saw a shot from the right-hand edge of the box well blocked by Abdoulaye Meite.
Skipper Kevin Nolan scuffed a shot wide from 15 yards out and looped a header over the bar from similar range as Bolton toiled.
And the visitors' best chance of the half fell to Jlloyd Samuel who jinked past three weak challenges in the Blues box before smashing his shot straight at Maik Taylor.
Bolton's defensive deficiencies were exposed when Larsson clipped in a delightful cross for Kapo, who poked home his second goal of the season at the back post.
Wanderers improved marginally after the break but lacked the creative spark to unlock the tireless Birmingham back line.
Johan Djourou and Liam Ridgewell stifled the Premier League's leading goalscorer Nicolas Anelka and although El Hadji Diouf was industrious, he rarely threatened where it mattered.
Substitute Braaten opened up the Birmingham defence midway through the second half and but for Kelly's heroic last-ditch tackle, the Norwegian midfielder would have levelled.
Larsson was denied a deserved place on the scoresheet when his sublime free-kick smashed the underside of the bar. And Djourou's header from a corner was cleared off the line by Gavin McCann as Birmingham looked to kill Bolton off.
The second didn't come, but the Blues' hardworking defence repelled a late surge to secure their first league win in front of the St Andrew's crowd.
By Nathan Mercer
Bruce wants 100 per cent
Steve Bruce knows Birmingham City have to play to their maximum every match to survive in the League.
And the Blues manager has challenged his players to prove the woeful show at Middlesbrough was a one-off.
Bruce's encouragement at early season performances was brought crashing down to earth after the 2-0 defeat at the Riverside Stadium. He has had to wait nearly a fortnight to work with the majority of his players again because of international call-ups.
But he is expecting a positive response when City take on another of the early season strugglers in Bolton Wanderers at St Andrews.
stroll it
"We got our backsides kicked against Middlesbrough. There is no other way of putting it. We started poorly and finished poorly," he said. "Possibly only one player played to their potential in Cameron Jerome while the rest simply weren't good enough and we made Middlesbrough look very good on the day.
"It was disappointing as we had seen in the previous games that we can be competitive in this league but on that day we didn't play well collectively, individually or as a team.
"The message it sent out was if you think you can stroll it or take your foot off the pedal, then you can't. If we are to do well we have to have everyone at 100 per cent in every game. If we fall short of that in a couple of areas, then we are going to have a struggle."
Blues choose not to sign Kallon
Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has decided not to pursue his interest in signing striker Mohammed Kallon.
The former Inter Milan striker had trained with the Blues for the past 10 days after becoming a free agent when Monaco paid up his contract.
He scored in a friendly against Kidderminster but Blues opted out because of paperwork issues.
Bruce said: "Our information was it would have been very difficult to get a work permit so he's gone elsewhere."
Birmingham make new signing plans
Birmingham chairman David Gold has confirmed that manager Steve Bruce is already working on targets for the January transfer window.
Bruce spent a net £7m in bringing in 12 players during the summer.
Manchester City's former Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell has been linked with the Blues but Gold said: "I don't know everybody on the list.
"Steve is looking for players who will shortly be out of contract and there are a few on his list."
Bruce was trying to bring in a striker right up to when the transfer deadline closed on 31 August and former Monaco striker Mohammed Kallon is currently training with the Blues.
Vassell's days at Eastlands appear to be numbered because he has fallen further down the pecking order since manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's summer transfer activity.
Gold added: "When it's time to spend the money, Steve will come to the club owners and say 'I think this player would strengthen my squad'."
