Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell could face surgery after Thomas Tuchel confirmed the left-back has sustained ACL damage to his knee.
The Blues will decide over the course of the next six weeks whether the player will require surgery on the injury.
Chilwell suffered the injury during the 4-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League in an innocuous incident, with Cesar Azpilicueta replacing the 24-year-old in the 71st minute.
“Ben Chilwell is out,” Tuchel confirmed. “He has a partial tear of his ACL, and the decision is to treat it conservatively. The next six weeks will tell the story if he makes it and be available or if he will need surgery.
“There’s never a good moment for big injuries, and injuries in general. This is a bad moment for him personally, he was full of confidence. He’s been a huge part, it’s a shame, we are very sad. At the moment he is very positive.
“After a while you have to refocus and focus on the positives, that’s the next week. We will do everything that is possible so he can come back and help us again, strong.”
It is a crushing blow for the player, who had hit some of the best form of his career and become a key part of the Blues side that currently tops the Premier League.
Tuchel must now decide who will replace Chilwell in the coming weeks, with Marcos Alonso and Azpilicueta the obvious options starting with the home match against Manchester United on Sunday.
More to follow...
