Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson could be sidelined until mid-April with a bad hamstring tear.
The Magpies ' top scorer limped off in the side's recent 3-2 win over Southampton at St James' Park and Steve Bruce confirmed the bad news in his pre-Chelsea press conference.
Bruce said: "Unfortunately with Callum it's a tear to his hamstring and it could be six to eight weeks. To lose your striker is a bitter pill to swallow.
"We hoped it was two to three weeks but unfortunately it's worse than that, we will be without him for six to eight weeks. It is a bad tear. It takes time and when you are pace and power like he is Callum, the rehab has to be spot on.
"Let's hope we can cope with it. Let's hope others can step up to mark and can grasp it."
Wilson - who has scored 10 Premier League goals in his debut season on Tyneside - is set to be a huge miss to Bruce and Newcastle, but they do have other options.
Joelinton, Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle are all available to Bruce, but the three strikers have just three top-flight goals between them this season - all scoring one each.
Newcastle supporters have been reacting to the news that Wilson could be missing for over two months and are understandably devastated with the news.
However, they're calling on Bruce to choose Gayle as his new centre-forward to replace their star striker while he's sidelined.
Newcastle travel to Chelsea on Monday evening, as the Magpies look to continue their recent form - with six points from a possible nine in their last three league games.
Bruce will also be without right-back Javi Manquillo, who has been ruled out for six weeks with ankle ligament damage. Fabian Schar is also set to be out for eight weeks after being stretchered off in last weekend's win over the Saints.
