Standard Liege captain Steven Defour will be out of action for at least three months, the club have confirmed.

The 21-year-old was operated on last night after breaking a bone in his foot when he was tackled in the ninth minute of the match against Malines.

It is a big blow for Standard, who kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign against Arsenal on Wednesday.

Defour was heavily linked with a move to a bigger club in the summer, with Liverpool and Manchester City reportedly interested, while Everton had a £9m bid for the Belgium midfielder turned down.