Winger Albert Adomah may have played his last Bristol City match for more than a month as he joins Ghana's pre-Africa Cup of Nations camp in Abu Dhabi.
Following Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Millwall, the winger now jets out with the Ghana squad  for two friendly matches, against Egypt (January 10th) and Tunisia (January 13th) in Abu Dhabi.
The current Black Stars squad of 26 players will then be pruned to 23 for the African Cup of Nations.
Ghana are in Group B, facing fixtures against Congo (January 20th), Mali (January 24th) and Niger (January 28th).
Progress in South Africa, where the tournament is being held, would mean further time away for Adomah, should he make the final squad of 23.
The quarter-finals are due to be played on February 2nd and 3rd, with the semi-finals on February 6th, and the final on February 10th.
Worst case scenario could see City without Adomah for six competitive matches (potentially more with further cup fixtures or rearranged games).
Manager Derek McInnes told bcfc.co.uk: “He’s such an important player for us as everyone knows, so to have him missing for a few games will be a real shame.
“But we’re delighted for Albert and it’s a great opportunity for him to showcase his talents.
“I remember at a similar time last year we were pleased that he wasn’t involved from a selfish point of view, but it’s obviously a major event and for him to experience that can only be good for his development.â€