Kurt Zouma injury: Chelsea defender expected to be out for six months

The 21-year-old France international will miss Euro 2016

Kurt Zouma is consoled by Juan Mata after suffering the injury (Getty Images)

Kurt Zouma will this week undergo knee surgery which will rule him out for the rest of the season and Euro 2016, Chelsea have announced.

The France defender injured his anterior cruciate ligament in Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester United.

A statement on Chelsea's official website read: "Kurt will undergo surgery in the next 48 hours and is expected to be out for approximately six months."

Zouma landed awkwardly early in the second half of the drawn Premier League contest and was taken off on a stretcher.

He vowed to return "stronger".

The 21-year-old wrote on Twitter: "Scan today has shown I injured my ACL. I will have surgery this week & will come back stronger. Thank you everyone for all the messages."

Despite Chelsea's troubles on the pitch this season, Zouma has established himself as a first-team regular and quietly impressed at the heart of the defence.

The former Saint-Étienne youth product arrived at Stamford Bridge for a fee of around £12million in January 2014.

PA