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Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku undergoes surgery as knee damage worse than expected
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has been dealt an agonising injury blow ahead of the new Premier League season.
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Chelsea have confirmed new signing Christopher Nkunku has undergone surgery on his knee after sustaining meniscus damage in pre-season. Many fans expected the Frenchman to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge after joining from RB Leipzig earlier this summer, but he will now spend a lengthy period on the sidelines after picking up a knee problem just days before the start of the new campaign.
In a brief statement released on Tuesday, Chelsea confirmed Nkunku had undergone surgery to address the issue, although the period of time he would be absent for was not revealed.
It read: "Nkunku has sustained a knee injury which will rule the forward out for an extended period. The 25-year-old has undergone an operation and will now begin a rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical department."
The news will come as a crushing blow to Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino. Nkunku was a livewire during the Blues' warm-up matches for the upcoming campaign, netting against Fulham, Brighton and Wrexham in recent friendlies.
The French international went down in the early stages of Chelsea's pre-season clash against Borussia Dortmund last week. And although there was initial hope that a knee issue would not keep him out of action for long, the landscape has now changed.
The development could hardly have come at a worse time for Pochettino, with his side's Premier League opener less than a week away. And the Argentine will have wanted his squad at full strength for Liverpool's visit to Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea reached a £52million agreement to sign Nkunku last summer, although he remained at RB Leipzig for another 12 months, scoring 23 goals in all competitions last season. The 25-year-old, who can play anywhere across the front-line, managed a staggering 35 goals the previous campaign.
Blues fans have been left to mull over who could shoulder the goals burden over the coming weeks. Summer signing Nicolas Jackson has impressed with his tenacity and pace during pre-season.
Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk will be expected to step up, while Noni Madueke put together a strong run at the end of last term.
Up top, Romelu Lukaku is almost certain to leave Stamford Bridge this summer. But Armando Broja will be keen to make a significant impact once he recovers from a knee injury of his own.