Chelsea fear midfielder Billy Gilmour could play no further football this season as they await updates on the knee injury he picked up earlier this week, reports The Guardian.
The 19-year-old has made nine appearances in all competitions for the Blues including two since resumption, against Watford and Crystal Palace and the Londoners were unbeaten in all six Premier League games in which he featured this term.
However, Gilmour suffered a knee injury during Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over the Eagles on Tuesday (July 7) and it could have ended his season prematurely.
The knock comes as another blow for Frank Lampard’s side, who were already without N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic before this latest setback.
While The Guardian claims Gilmour may need surgery, other sources have different opinions.
Football.London suggested the injury is not a long-term one but expect Lampard to provide further details in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s game against Sheffield United tomorrow (July 11).
However, The Sun claims that Gilmour has suffered ligament damage and will undergo surgery later today.
Its report says he requires a minor operation and will be out for between eight and 12 weeks.
Whatever the outcome, the injury is a disappointing one for Gilmour, in whom Lampard had placed significant trust by picking him to replace Kante ahead of the more experienced Jorginho against Palace.
With a bright future ahead of the Scotland Under-21 international, Chelsea fans will be hoping that he recovers well in time for the new season, in which he could play an even more crucial role for the Blues – potentially both domestically and in Europe.
