Jake-Forster Caskey is set to miss the entire season with a serious knee injury in a major blow ahead of Charlton Athletic’s new campaign.

The 24-year-old has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament along with “significant damage” to other structures in his knee, the club confirmed.

It comes as the Addicks begin their 2018/19 season with a huge away trip to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on August 4.

Lee Bowyer said: “It’s devastating news. Just a freak injury. There was no contact, it was just in training.

“He went to close someone down and went to put on the brakes and his knee just gave way. There was no contact, it wasn’t a tackle or anything like that.

“It was just an innocent closing down.”

The caretaker boss said Forster-Caskey “knew straight away”, who told him, “my knee’s gone”.

Charlton will now have to go on without him as they add Darren Pratley to the midfield ranks following the departures of Ahmed Kashi and Ezri Konsa.

Bowyer said: “It’s devastating for us and I really feel for the lad because he was in bits after training, one he realised the extent it is, and I felt for him because all he wants to do is play football and I get that.

“I spoke to him after training and again I called him that evening and just said, ‘Look, you have to try and get your head around this now and try to be strong and get through this.

“’It’s going to be tough times’.

“We’ll all be there for him.”