Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Browne ruled out for the season with knee injury

The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the FA Cup loss to Brentford earlier this month and will miss the rest of the season.

Browne had only just returned from a hamstring problem but Warnock has urged him to remain upbeat, comparing his situation to that of Cardiff defender Sol Bamba, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Warnock told the club website: “Because he’s a young lad, it’ll heal and he’ll come back.

“I said to him he’ll feel bad because he’s done so well to come back once already but, when you look at Sol Bamba, there’s a lot worse in life.

“I told him you’ve got to have your operation, get back on the bandwagon and get fit again, and look as sharp as you have done because he’s done really well this season.”

Browne received oxygen on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher.

Warnock had hoped the damage was limited to a dislocated kneecap but that has not turned out to be the case.

Warnock said: “It’s bad news on Marcus. The consultant thinks it might be a cruciate, on reflection, when he’s looked at the scans.

“He can’t really give us a timeframe because he doesn’t know what’s inside, and Marcus had had a problem with his kneecap.

“I think he’s going to be operated on in the next 10 days once the swelling’s gone down.

“The good thing for Marcus is the surgeon can actually mend his kneecap at the same time he does his cruciate.”