Chelsea’s Armando Broja is expected to be out for the rest of the season following the knee injury he suffered in a friendly with Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
The striker will need surgery to fix a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee, reports the Evening Standard, and that will keep the Chelsea star out until next season whilst he goes through his rehabilitation programme.
The report states that the 21-year-old’s recovery period could last around five months but it could be a maximum of 12 in the worst-case scenario – which would be a disaster for the youngster so early in his career.
The injury to Broja means Chelsea boss Graham Potter only has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as his only proper striker for the rest of the campaign and may need to sign a short-term replacement in January, as the London club will have Christopher Nkunku for the long term.
Potter may just use Kai Havertz in the role and save the club’s money to strengthen more important areas for the Blues in the long run.
Either way, this injury is a big blow for both the player and his club.