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Chelsea confirm Fernando Torres is out for at least three weeks with knee ligament injury

Striker was forced out of the Blues' Champions League win over Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday and faces a race to be fit for the October 19 clash with Cardiff

Agency
Thursday 03 October 2013 11:58 BST
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Chelsea striker Fernando Torres faces a race against time to return to action following the international break after the club confirmed he will miss three weeks due to a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee.

The Spaniard underwent a scan at the Blues' Cobham training base after limping out of Tuesday's Champions League group game at Steaua Bucharest and the extent of the damage has now been revealed.

A statement published on Chelsea's official website read: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm Fernando Torres suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee in the Champions League group game at Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday evening.

"The 29-year-old will be out for approximately three weeks."

Blues boss Jose Mourinho had on Tuesday night been able to confirm Torres would not be available to link up with Spain for World Cup qualifiers against Belarus and Georgia following Sunday's match at Norwich, for which he was suspended irrespective of injury following his dismissal at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

"It's something in his knee, his ligament, and we have to wait for the scan," Mourinho said.

"The doctor is very confident it's not a big injury, like we had with Marco van Ginkel (who is out for six months).

"He knows that he doesn't play against Norwich. He knows that he cannot go to the national team.

"He knows he has 15 days until the next match he can play, which is against Cardiff.

"Let's see the scan. If the injury is an injury for 15 days, I think he'll be fine. That's okay.

"The problem is if it's more time and it's a pity for the guy, because he's in a very good moment."

The former Liverpool man was dismissed for two bookable offences against Tottenham and will face just a one-match ban after the Football Association decided to take no further action following his altercation with Jan Vertonghen.

That means that should he make a speedy recovery, Torres could have an outside chance of featuring against the Bluebirds on October 19.

PA

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