Ruben Loftus-Cheek thanked fans for their messages of support after losing several teeth and fracturing his jaw in a horrific tackle.
The England and ex-Chelsea midfielder lasted just 11 minutes of AC Milan’s 1-0 defeat by Parma on Sunday.
He started for the Rossoneri but came off worse from a sickening collision with goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi and had to be stretchered off as concerned team-mates watched on.
It was later confirmed the Briton had suffered a fractured jaw and lost several teeth before undergoing surgery on Monday.
An AC Milan statement read: “The operation to reduce and stabilise the fracture was completely successful. Ruben is doing well and has already been discharged. The estimated recovery time is around eight weeks.”
In a picture shared to his Instagram story, Loftus-Cheek’s lips are badly swollen, with multiple front teeth missing.
He is expected to spend months on the sidelines and may not play again this season, casting doubt on his hopes of representing England at this summer’s World Cup.
In a new statement, Loftus-Cheek expressed his gratitude to both his fans and doctors.
“It was a tough blow, but the worst is behind me,” he wrote on Instagram. “A heartfelt thanks to all the medical staff who supported me over these past hours with professionalism and care.
“A special thanks to all the fans for your countless messages of love and support: I’ve read them, felt them, and they’ve given me incredible strength.
“Thanks to my team-mates: we are a family [heart emoji].
“Now, forward towards our goals, strong and united. Together.”
Loftus-Cheek’s dream of being called up to Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad now hang by a thread as he faces a roughly two-month lay-off, meaning he stands to miss around eight Serie A matches.
He has 11 England caps to his name and made four appearances at the World Cup in 2018, but has only played once for the Three Lions this campaign, making a 22-minute cameo in a 3-0 friendly defeat of Wales in October.
