Tiote looks set to miss the rest of the season

Tiote's last appearance came while away on international with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, with Carver resigned to losing the 28-year-old for the remainder of 2014-15. 

"I would have thought so," confirmed Carver when asked whether Tiote is out for the rest of the campaign. 

Carver added: "He had the operation on Sunday.

"He’s in Qatar and because the surgeon who did his operation from Belgium on his thigh when he was at Twente is the guy who did the operation, so he is going to stay out there for a little bit of recovery time and then come back.

"Communication is not great at the minute, so we are trying to get more and more, but I think he’ll stay there for a while."