Christopher Nkunku expected to need knee surgery in blow for Chelsea
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku is expected to need surgery on a knee injury and faces the prospect of a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Nkunku was forced off during the first half of Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago last week. The game was played on a dreadful pitch at Soldier Field.
The initial hope was that Nkunku, who sealed a £58m move from RB Leipzig this summer, would be out for weeks rather than months. But the France forward is understood to have sustained meniscus damage in his left knee and sources close to the player fear he will require an operation. A final decision has not been made and Chelsea’s medics are conducting further scans in the hope that surgery will be avoided.
Losing Nkunku to long-term injury would be a major blow for Mauricio Pochettino. The versatile attacker has impressed during pre-season but is extremely unlikely to be available when Chelsea host Liverpool in their opening game on Sunday.
Chelsea have had little luck with injuries and are set to be without Wesley Fofana for much of the season. The centre-back has undergone surgery on a knee injury.
Chelsea could be forced into the market for attacking additions if Nkunku is out for a while. They are holding talks with Juventus over a swap deal involving Dusan Vlahovic and Romelu Lukaku, who is desperate to leave Stamford Bridge, but are not interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar.
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The former Chelsea right-back Tino Livramento has completed his move from Southampton to Newcastle. The deal is understood to be worth close to £40m.