Gabriel was substituted in the 15th minute of City's 2-0 win on the south coast, and early reports suggested that he could be out for up to three months.

The 19-year-old may now miss a run of three crucial Premier League matches against top-four rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in March and April.

In a statement on their official website, City said: "He will undergo further examinations in the coming days to establish the extent of his layoff. We wish Gabriel a speedy recovery."

Gabriel had made an impressive start to his career in England since completing a £27 million move from Palmeiras in January, starting City's last three Premier League matches and scoring three times.

He went down clutching his right foot after chasing a through ball from Raheem Sterling, having appeared to suffer a knock a couple of minutes earlier in a challenge by Simon Francis, and was replaced by Sergio Aguero.

The injury setback means Aguero -- recently linked with a move from City in the summer -- is now set for an extended run in the side.

City are already without midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who joined in the summer, for the rest of the season after he damaged his cruciate knee ligaments in December.