Ben Chilwell will miss a large chunk of the campaign after recently receiving the results of a scan on his damaged hamstring.
According to the Telegraph, the Chelsea defender could be facing up to three months of rehabilitation, with his hamstring understood to be torn.
Chilwell was helped off the Stamford Bridge pitch by medical staff towards the end of Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.
The minute he pulled up, holding the underside of his thigh, many expected the worst.
Especially as the left-back’s recent medical history makes for pretty grim reading.
A knee problem caused the 25-year-old to miss nearly half of the previous season, only returning to competitive action at the beginning of this term.
No sooner had he started getting game time again, the pendulum swung in the wrong direction.
Chilwell ruled out of World Cup duty
This latest set-back for Chilwell will almost certainly mean no appearance at the World Cup in Qatar this winter, and definitely no domestic action before Christmas.
Chelsea also confirmed their player’s expected absence from Gareth Southgate’s England squad. Although. the Telegraph suggested surgery would not be required.
Southgate’s defence continues to hollow out, with Chilwell’s teammate Reece James in a race against time to be fit for the tournament.
James picked up a knee injury last month away to AC Milan, but is apparently confident he will be on the plane to Qatar in a few weeks.
Taking the Chelsea academy graduate would be a risk on Southgate’s behalf, hazards he could certainly do without.
Yet, having a player onboard with the ability of James may just be worth taking a punt on.
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