Mason Mount is expected to miss at least two weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the Club World Cup final on Saturday.
As first reported by the Athletic, the injury isn't as bad as first feared but he will be in a battle to be fit for the Carabao Cup final with Liverpool on February 27.
The Englishman was replaced by Christian Pulisic after just 31 minutes of the weekend's clash when a Palmeiras player fell on him. Although he was seen leaving the stadium on crutches, it appears as though it's not as serious as the ankle injury Romelu Lukaku suffered back in October that subsequently left him out of action for a month.
With an extremely busy period on the horizon, the injury comes at a bad time for both player and club.
His injury means that he will miss Chelsea's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday, as well as the Blues' Champions League tie with Ligue 1 outfit Lille next Tuesday.
Depending on its severity, it's possible he could return to action for the final. He suffered a similar injury in 2019 as a result of a challenge by then Valencia and former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin but returned to action just five days later, again against Liverpool.
The news is a massive blow for Thomas Tuchel, who will be searching for his fourth major honour as Blues boss after winning the Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup all within the last year.
