New Chelsea signing Nkunku undergoes knee surgery

Chelsea have been dealt with an early injury before the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season with new signing Christopher Nkunku set to miss the start of the season.

The forward, who joined for £52 million from RB Leipzig in June, has had to undergo surgery for a knee injury sustained during the Blues’ pre-season tour of the USA. The 25-year-old was taken off early in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund in Chicago last week.

"It was a bit unlucky in the situation but we cannot complain about the pitch and blame the pitch for why he suffered the injury,” manager Mauricio Pochettino said about the incident. “For me, it was bad luck."

Nkunku had featured in five of Chelsea’s pre-season games and scored goals against Wrexham, Brighton, and Fulham but is now unlikely to feature in an official game for the club before December with the player’s recovery expected to take 16 weeks.