Fulham playmaker Bryan Ruiz suffers setback in recovery from injury

Cottagers have missed the forward's inventiveness

Fulham's Bryan Ruiz faces at least four more weeks on the sidelines after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old has been missing since the 3-1 defeat to Sunderland three weeks ago and was expected to return against Newcastle.

However, Fulham manager Martin Jol has confirmed Ruiz will miss Monday's match and will be out until the New Year after suffering a setback.

"He came back on Monday then he had a setback and he will be out for at least four weeks," Jol said.

"It is the same injury. He was in the final stage of his rehabilitation and he aggravated his hamstring muscle again.

"He has had intensive screening and that highlighted some problems."

Jol has voiced his frustration in the past at the number of injuries Ruiz has picked up, especially when he has travelled back to his native Costa Rica for international duty.

The Dutchman, though, insists the hamstring complaint has nothing to do with that.

"He had this hamstring injury before, now we've found out it is a structural thing," Jol said.

"We had a second opinion and hopefully we found a solution now, but he needs treatment and he will be out for the next four weeks.

"Maybe before he went back to his country and then he came back with a different injury, but as it is now it is the same injury all the time. The same area.

"Hopefully we have found a solution. We sent him to Germany with our people and Doctor [Hans-Wilhelm] Muller-Wohlfahrt is a specialist I know from my time there.

"Hopefully he will be fine in four weeks now but of course it is a big disappointment.

"As you know, Bryan was a vital player for us and every time he played, like against Arsenal, Southampton and Wigan, he was quite important, but we've got other players. Good luck to him and he will be back after Christmas."

There has also been bad news in regards to the fitness of Zdenek Grygera, who has chosen to bring his career to an end.

The 32-year-old joined Fulham in the summer of 2011 but did not have his contract renewed at the end of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

Grygera has been continuing his rehabilitation with the Cottagers in the hope of earning a new deal, which had looked likely until a number of problems saw him rethink his playing career.

"Grygera told me that he will quit," Jol said. "He will stay with us until the December 15.

"He is retiring as it is now as he first wants to be healthy, sound and get back to his fitness because he has a few problems with his hip and his knee.

"He was probably never 100 percent, not even 90 percent, but he is an unbelievable character.

"He started two weeks ago but then after 10 minutes he had to quit again so he made the decision to call it a day for now, but you never know,

"If he feels fine in the summer, maybe he could start somewhere in Austria or in his country, the Czech Republic.

"It is a shame and it was hard for him, but he was very realistic and of course he was not under contract here because he never played games.

"I feel for him because it is tough because I think there was another two or three years in him, but it was his decision.

"He is retiring from Fulham and England. He wants to be fit, he doesn't want to end up in a wheelchair. That is actually what he said and I know what he means."