Andy Johnson could miss the rest of the season as he faces an exploratory operation on his troublesome knee.

Commenting on the situation, manager Roy Hodgson said: "If they find the problem is major, Andy would need an operation that would keep him out for the rest of the season."

He added that the issue may just be ligament damage, which could see the former Everton forward back in action before the end of the campaign.

The club would not have let Diomansy Kamara go on loan to Celtic had the possible severity of the injury been known, Hodgson admitted.

Fulham have suffered from a number of injury blows recently, with another absentee with a knee injury being American midfielder Clint Demspey.

Those suffering with knee problems may find that ultrasound treatment aids recovery.

Discussing tonight's (February 3rd) game against Portsmouth Hodgson stated that new loan signing Nicky Shorey will help fill one gap caused by injury, as he is a natural left-back who can cover for the absence of Paul Konchesky.