Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has undergone surgery on the knee injury he suffered during the club’s 3-1 Premier League defeat to West Ham on Sunday.
Chukwuemeka scored his first goal for the Blues following his £20m arrival from Aston Villa last August, but the emerging talent was then forced off at half-time.
A club statement on Tuesday morning confirmed: “Carney Chukwuemeka sustained an injury to his left knee during our game against West Ham United on Sunday. Last night Carney underwent surgery and will now begin his recovery. The 19-year-old will work with the club’s medical department on his rehabilitation at Cobham.”
It is now expected that Chukwuemeka will be sidelined for around six weeks, putting him out of action until early October, at which point club football will then go on hold for the second international break of the season. During that absence, he could miss six or seven games.
“Bittersweet feeling scoring my first goal for Chelsea but picking up an injury and not coming home with three points,” Chukwuemeka himself then posted on social media.
“Minor setback but I’ll be back very soon. Thank you, Chelsea fans for your love and support.”
Chukwuemeka has started both of Chelsea’s Premier League games at the start of 2023/24 in the new direction under Mauricio Pochettino. The teenager had largely been a fringe player during his debut season, making only two Premier League starts in total.
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 25 August 2023 | Chelsea vs Luton Town | Premier League |
| 30 August 2023 | Chelsea vs AFC Wimbledon | Carabao Cup |
| 2 September 2023 | Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest | Premier League |
| 17 September 2023 | Bournemouth vs Chelsea | Premier League |
| 23 September 2023 | Chelsea vs Aston Villa | Premier League |
| 2 October 2023 | Fulham vs Chelsea | Premier League |
| 7 October 2023 | Burnley vs Chelsea | Premier League |
