Chelsea defender suffers fresh injury setback

Chelsea centre-back David Luiz could find himself sidelined for at least another month after suffering a setback on his recovery from his ankle and knee injuries.

The Brazil international has been struggling with a knee problem since the crunching tackle from Sergio Aguero back in December 2016, for which he has been taking medical advice.

According to Evening Standard, the centre-back also has concerns over an ankle injury, and he is facing the prospect of missing the Champions League second-leg versus Barcelona as well as the games against Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup and Premier League respectively.

During his absence, Andreas Christensen has capitalised to become a regular in the starting lineup, but the Dane has shown signs of fatigue of late, and this includes his failed cross-field pass against Barcelona which cost the club dearly with an away goal in the 1-1 Champions League draw.

With Luiz sidelined, club-captain Gary Cahill could take advantage of any chances which come by in order to prove his credentials to manager Antonio Conte, who is under immense pressure.

Chelsea face the prospect of missing out on Champions League football for the second time in three seasons following back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Manchester City. They are now five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.