Armando Broja needs surgery for ruptured ACL, ruled out for rest of the season — reports

Chelsea’s terrible luck with injuries continues as Armando Broja looks set to miss at least the rest of the season, after reportedly being told that “he needs surgery to fix a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee”.

That shouldn’t be a surprising outcome, unfortunately, after Broja went down in tons of pain on Sunday, during Chelsea’s friendly match against Aston Villa. Broja got the start but an awkward challenge on a Villa defender just a quarter hour in left him howling in pain. He was eventually stretchered off on a golf cart.

While the injury has not been officially confirmed, we can probably safely assume that he will go ahead with surgery shortly and begin his long rehabilitation program. Recovery from an ACL surgery can range anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the severity and the specifics involved. Most elite athletes tend towards the shorter end of the scale, but not all.

Broja had failed to appear in just three of our games so far this season, though he had only started three times, including our last two before the break. His expected absence has already led to a resurgence of January striker transfer chatter, with the likes of João Félix (on loan?) and Cristiano Ronaldo mooted — though Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang really should be able to handle the load just fine (“should be”).