Daniel Farke has told Timm Klose he is not alone as he plots the next battle of his injury-blighted Norwich City career.

The Swiss international could be out for up to a year, pending further consultations with specialists next week to assess the full extent of the knee injury damage in the club's League Cup exit at Crawley.

That was only Klose's third start of an injury ravaged 2019, and Farke revealed on Friday another long-term spell on the sidelines had hit the popular defender hard.

"He is so disappointed and really down. It is important to let him feel that now rather than when he starts his rehab. 2019 won't be his year," said Farke. "He was barely on the pitch.

"It is tragic the amount of injuries he has had and now to do this against a fourth tier side in the cup is very tough to take. My feeling is he had worked so hard and was so close and just needed minutes in the cup and then he was completely back.

"This happens in football and you have to handle it. You can be disappointed for a few days and then you must come back stronger than before. He will get all the support and time he needs. Not only he is a brilliant footballer but a brilliant lad and so important to us as a club.

"We won't force anything and he will get the best medical support he can have."

Klose has ruptured his posterior cruciate knee ligament (PCL) but Farke admitted City's medical staff fear he may have also suffered damage to his meniscus.

"It is a bit difficult to judge how long he will be out. We have to re-scan Timm again when the swelling goes down next week," said Farke. "We are a bit scared there is something more with the knee, in terms of the meniscus.

"The best case scenario is he will be out for four months. If there is nothing wrong with the meniscus and the PCL just has to heal that would still be January/February."