Chelsea have been dealt a massive triple injury blow as three of their stars are set to be injured for months to come and as a result will miss the World Cup in Qatar, scheduled to begin in just over a month.
Reece James, Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante have all been struck with major injuries, sidelining them throughout the World Cup period.
England International Reece James picked up a knock in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday. The right-back was substituted in the second half after an injury to his knee.
Initially, it was thought that the injury was minor, and James would miss one or two games at most. However, after undergoing further tests on Thursday, football.london reported that the injury is worse than expected.
It’s unclear as to whether James will require surgery on the knee or not, with the player set to meet a specialist this weekend, according to Chelsea boss Graham Potter. However, it is certain that James will be on the treatment table for weeks to come, if not months, casting doubt as to whether he’ll be available for World Cup squad selection.
A player that will certainly not feature at this year’s tournament in Qatar is World Cup winner himself N’Golo Kante, who’s been ruled out for three to four months. The French International star suffered a hamstring injury during training early in the season and has been missing since the Blues’ draw with Spurs on August 14th.
Kante had just returned to full training off the back of his rehabilitation from the injury. But unfortunately, the player suffered a further setback recently, ruling him out of action for the rest of the year.
“He’s due to see a consultant at the weekend. It’s a setback, it’s not good news, but I can’t give you anything more at this stage,” said Chelsea boss Potter in his pre-match press conference.
“Historically there are things which have happened which is a concern, so we need to get to the bottom of that.
“It’s a setback at this stage of this rehab which is worrying, but all we can do is get the right diagnosis, get the right consultation, and try and help him get back to full fitness and enjoying his football.”
New summer signing Wesley Fofana has also been ruled out for the coming months after picking up an injury in Chelsea’s first fixture against AC Milan, at Stamford Bridge. The Frenchman left on crutches after the game, however, it’s believed not to be a serious ligament tear.
Potter confirmed Fofana will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, stating: “He is just progressing where he was. I don’t think we will see him before the World Cup.”
Chelsea face an away trip to Aston Villa on Sunday in the Premier League as Graham Potter aims to continue his unbeaten start to life in West London, with the Blues looking to make it five wins on the bounce in all competitions.