Tearful Francis Coquelin left the pitch in agony on a stretcher after twisting his knee during Villarreal's 1-0 defeat against Barcelona on Sunday.
The French midfielder writhed around in pain for several minutes after falling awkwardly midway through the first half, as players from both sides looked on worryingly.
Coquelin is no doubt set for an extended period on the sidelines and could subsequently be ruled out for the remainder of the season.
The 31-year-old, who was clapped off by supporters at the Estadio de la Ceramica, held a towel over his head as he battled with the pain while leaving the pitch on a stretcher.
Barcelona took the lead through Pedri in the 17th minute and held on to their clean sheet, carving out an 11-point lead at the summit of LaLiga.
Chasers Real Madrid, who hold a game in hand over their El Clasico rivals, face off against bottom-of-the-league Elche on Wednesday.
Coquelin has been a stalwart for Villarreal since joining the club from Valencia in 2020, having previously represented Arsenal in the Premier League under Arsene Wenger.
However, the midfielder has held more of a bit-part role this campaign, starting only nine matches in LaLiga and making it to 90 minutes just twice across all competitions this term.
Coquelin's versatility has given him plenty of opportunities off the bench, with the Frenchman operating as both a defensive midfielder and inverted winger at times this season.
After suffering three defeats on the spin and dropping to eighth in the table, Villarreal head to Mallorca next Saturday in the hope of rediscovering their form.
RaghibMustafa
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Get well soon Coquelin