PAMPLONA -Iran midfielder Javad Nekounam could be out of action for at least six months after it was revealed on Thursday by his Spanish club, Osasuna, that the Iranian Player of the Year had suffered a serious knee injury.

Nekounam underwent an MRI after suffering the injury during a pre-season friendly against Villarreal on Tuesday and his Spanish club announced on Thursday that the 26-year-old had sustained a cruciate ligament injury to his right knee.

Osasuna's head of medical services, Patxi Cipriain, confirmed the news on the club's official website, saying: "The first examinations were not pessimistic but the test that he made confirmed the injury.

"It is a serious injury and his absence will be long. In principle, he will miss football for a period of six months at least," he added.

Nekounam joined the Pamplona club from United Arab Emirates leagues side Sharjah at the start of the 2006/07 season after representing Iran at the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Voted by the club's fans as their player of the year after helping Osasuna to reach the UEFA Cup semi-finals last season, Nekounam also scored twice for Iran in their run to the quarter-finals at the recent AFC Asian Cup.