Just a month after Tiger Woods ruled himself out of the Ryder Cup it is looking increasingly likely that Europe will also be without one of their leading players.
Luke Donald misses the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale this week and cup captain Nick Faldo is not sounding optimistic that all will be well by the time he has to make his selections for September's match.
Donald, unbeaten in four games with Sergio Garcia as his foursomes partner and with an overall record of five wins, one half and only one defeat, injured his wrist during the US Open five weeks ago and is now struggling to make it back for the US PGA Championship on August 7-10.
The Ryder Cup qualifying race ends just three weeks later and even if he does return before that the world number 21, already outside the top 10 on the points table, will need something special to avoid having to rely on a wild card.
"You can't come back from a wrist injury too early because it will flare up again," said Faldo last night.
"He won't be able to play for another month minimum if rehab goes well. If he's injured then I'll probably talk to him and get his honest opinion.
"I haven't set him any deadline and will leave the decision up to him."
In an interview with BBC Radio Five Live Faldo also stated: "He would need to be a pick and to pick a man who is injured would be a major story.
"I've been receiving emails from him to keep me up to speed - he is contemplating heavy therapy first and trying to put off surgery.
"He was talking about a couple of months, maybe therapy for a month and then make a decision.
"He would need a very quick recovery to get to the US PGA and to be able and play for a couple of weeks. He is a good balanced guy who would give me a honest opinion.
"He will be missed (if he loses his race against time), but we will make up a 12-man team and will be all right."
Donald was a wild card pick of Bernhard Langer for his debut in Detroit four years ago and lost only his singles.
Two years ago in Ireland he qualified automatically in second place and won all his three games in what was another record nine-point European victory.
He has been diagnosed with a subluxation of the extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon in his left wrist, which is a partial dislocation.
If it becomes clear in the next month that Donald is out of the reckoning for a third cap then Faldo's task of selecting two wild cards could at least be made simpler.
Open champion Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey and Colin Montgomerie are among those also currently outside of an automatic top 10 spot.
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