Chelsea have been dealt a hammer blow after Ruben Loftus-Cheek ruptured his Achilles.
The England midfielder suffered the blow in a post-season friendly against New England Revolution in Boston.
Initial fears suggested Loftus-Cheek would miss the Europa League final and England's upcoming Nations League matches after he was pictured leaving the stadium on crutches and wearing a protective boot.
But it has now emerged that the 23-year-old could be out of action until the start of 2020 in another devastating setback for Blues boss Maurizio Sarri.
The Sun reports Loftus-Cheek will be sidelined for at least six months but he is unlikely to play again this year.
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Loftus-Cheek's blow comes less than a month after teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi suffered the same injury.
The winger picked up the problem in the draw with Burnley as his season was brought to a crashing halt.
Blues boss Sarri had questioned the decision to play the charity match at the end of the Premier League campaign - particularly with the Europa League final to come.
And his worst fears have been confirmed after Loftus-Cheek went down injured within 20 minutes of coming on in Boston.
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Chelsea won the match 3-0 thanks to a brace from Ross Barkley, either side of an Olivier Giroud goal.
The Blues face Arsenal in Baku on May 29 but their preparations for next season have already been thrown into chaos.
A transfer ban prevents Sarri from bringing in any new players with key men Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi set to start the campaign on the sidelines.
Eden Hazard is also expected to leave the club for Real Madrid with a decision expected after the Europa League final.
