Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has reportedly been ruled out until after the international break with the hamstring injury he sustained against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The England international was taken off just 21 minutes into that 3-0 defeat to the Seagulls at the Amex, further complicating the worst kind of attacking dilemma for Enzo Maresca.
The Blues boss immediately confirmed after the game that Madueke had sustained a hamstring injury of unspecified severity, one that would certainly lead to a spell on the sidelines.
Now, The Telegraph reports that Madueke will not play again until after the March international break, although the Blues are still hopeful that his issue is not as severe as first feared.
The winger's hamstring problem will seemingly not require surgery - unlike Arsenal's Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka - but he still stands to miss a good chunk of games between now and the end of March/start of April.
Which Chelsea games could Madueke miss through injury?
© Imago
If Madueke is able to resume playing straight after the next international window, then the former PSV Eindhoven man will only sit out four Premier League matches, starting with this weekend's trip to Aston Villa.
Maresca's men will also take on Southampton (February 25), Leicester City (March 9) and Arsenal (March 16) before international football intervenes, and while Chelsea will be favourites to see off the former two at home, his absence against the Gunners at the Emirates will be a major blow.
Madueke could be back in action by the time Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur in a mouthwatering London derby on April 2, and as the Blues were eliminated by Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round, they do not need to worry about losing the attacker for any of those contests.
However, Madueke is also likely to miss both legs of Chelsea's Conference League last-16 tie, which take place on March 6 and 13 respectively, and the Blues will learn whether they will face Real Betis or Copenhagen in Friday's draw.
The 22-year-old - who will also not be available for England selection next month - has produced eight goals and four assists from 28 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 season, including seven goals from 23 Premier League games, making him the club's third-highest scorer in the top flight behind Cole Palmer (14) and Nicolas Jackson (nine).
How can Chelsea replace the injured Madueke?
© Imago
Madueke's setback comes at a time where Chelsea are already working without both Jackson and Marc Guiu until April with thigh injuries, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is still serving a provisional doping ban.
In addition, the Blues gave Joao Felix and Deivid Washington the green light to leave on loan during the January transfer window, leaving Maresca down to the bare bones in attack for the time being.
For the time being, Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto are the most obvious candidates to start out wide either side of Palmer, with Christopher Nkunku operating as the central striker.
However, 19-year-old Tyrique George is a wild-card candidate for the Blues, who sit sixth in the Premier League table before Saturday's showdown with Villa.
Ben Knapton
