Sidelined striker Baba Diawara has undergone an arthroscopy as Adelaide United seek to discover the true extent of his knee injury.
Diawara, 30, has featured for just 21 minutes this term, appearing briefly off the bench in the Round 2 draw with Newcastle Jets.
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The marquee man netted five times in 19 appearances leading into this season and his extended absence, along with that of George Blackwood, has increased the goal-scoring burden on the likes of Craig Goodwin and Ben Halloran.
The Reds hope the surgery will help to ascertain how much longer Diawara will remain unavailable.
"Adelaide United can confirm forward Baba Diawara has successfully undergone an arthroscopy to his knee," read a club statement.
"The club is awaiting further assessment from its medical staff to determine the expected length of Diawara's absence and his progress will be monitored very closely."
Diawara joined Adelaide in February 2017 following stints with Spanish side Sevilla and Portuguese outfit Maritimo.
Marco Kurz's men have performed capably without his services, winning three of their opening six matches to sit fourth on the ladder ahead of Saturday's visit to Melbourne Victory.
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