Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku is set to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a left knee injury.
The 25-year-old, who recently joined The Blues from RB Leipzig, sustained the injury during a pre-season match against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago. The club expects Nkunku to be out for around four months, ruling him out of action until December.
Nkunku’s injury occurred during a collision with Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, and despite the match being played on a pitch that had previously hosted an Ed Sheeran concert, Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed blaming the pitch for the injury, attributing it to bad luck.
This injury leaves Chelsea with limited options in the forward position. Nicolas Jackson, signed from Villarreal in June, is now the only senior forward available for the Premier League opener against Liverpool. Romelu Lukaku remains with the team, but he did not travel with the pre-season tour squad to the U.S., and Armando Broja is still recovering from an ACL injury.
Nkunku had made a promising start to his Chelsea career, scoring in several pre-season matches. His absence will be a challenge for Chelsea’s attacking options as they aim to improve their goal-scoring record from the previous season.
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