Injury expert Ben Dinnery believes Armando Broja's season could be over after he was stretchered off in Chelsea's friendly defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.
The Blues were losing 1-0 at the time when Broja went down in agony clutching his leg before being forced off with the problem. The Albanian has no history of knee injuries, but this is one that could be season-ending for the striker, Dinnery thinks.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, he said: "From that coming together, there's a really strong chance of ligament damage. Of course, the next steps will be determined by how severe that is and which ligament has caused the problem.
READ MORE: Chelsea injury scare shows what Graham Potter needs before January transfer window
"We've seen the way the knee moved and bent, so there could be medial collateral ligament involvement, which is the one on the inside of the knee. But we couldn't rule out a more serious setback, which would be the ACL.
"If it was the latter and we were talking about a rupture then, unfortunately, he would need to go under the knife and that would potentially be season-ending."
Speaking to the club's in-house media team after the game, Chelsea head coach Graham Potter admitted there is big concern over the injury. He said: "It was an unfortunate action.
"I think he got caught up with their player and the ground. It doesn't look positive at the moment, but it is too early to say. Fingers crossed, but it is an awkward one."
We still await for official confirmation on how long Broja will be missing for as he awaits for results from the scans he has taken in the last couple of days. If it is not good, then it could mean Chelsea are forced into the January transfer market for a new centre-forward.
Christopher Nkunku is expected to join the club, but that won't be until the summer after the Frenchman signed a pre-contract agreement from RB Leipzig. Chelsea have been linked with multiple other attacking options, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who is now a free agent following his controversial release from Manchester United.
Reports on Monday claimed Chelsea are 'exploring the possibility' of bringing Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko to Stamford Bridge. The 18-year-old's deal with Dortmund is set to expire at the end of the season and there is speculation the Blues are putting in work to try and sign him on a pre-contract agreement.
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