Mighty Ducks’ Karpov Breaks Arm : Hockey: Right wing’s injury is latest blow to the team, which expects to be without him for as long as three months.

Right wing Valeri Karpov broke his right forearm just above the wrist during Monday night’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche and may be lost to the Mighty Ducks for up to three months.

Karpov, who was injured when he was knocked into the boards, accompanied the team from Denver to Dallas on Tuesday morning after X-rays late Monday night

had revealed the fractures, then flew home to Anaheim to be examined by team doctors.

“It’s a blow, but we’ve got other people, somebody like Joe Sacco, to step in,” Coach Ron Wilson said. “We’re putting our confidence in him and he should be able to do it.”

At 24, Karpov is one of the Ducks’ promising young players. After eight games, he had a goal and three assists while playing on the second line with center Steve Rucchin and left wing Denny Lambert.

Drafted in the third round in 1993, Karpov’s career has gotten off to a halting start. He broke his other wrist less than two years ago while touring the United States with the Russian national team before the 1994 Olympics, but recovered in time to play in the Games.

Last year, he faltered after the three-month layoff because of the NHL lockout, finishing with only four goals and seven assists after being the Ducks’ second-leading scorer during the exhibition season.

Sacco, 26, was one of the Ducks’ leading goal-scorers in each of their first two seasons but has yet to score this season and had been left out of the lineup the last three games.