BREAKING NEWS: Terrible news hits Chelsea fans as the club is hit with fresh injury of a key player before upcoming clashes with Barcelona and Arsenal ‎ ‎ ‎This can’t be happening 😭💔 ‎He got the injury during training 🥲💔 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎FULL STORY: LINK IN COMMENTS

terrible news hits Chelsea fans as the club is hit with fresh injury of a key player before upcoming clashes with Barcelona and Arsenal

Chelsea Football Club and its supporters have been dealt a significant blow during the international break, with reports of a fresh injury to a key member of the first-team squad. Winger Jamie Gittens, a high-profile summer signing, was forced off with an apparent injury while representing the England Under-21s on Friday night, sparking immediate concern for the club.

The incident occurred during the Young Lions’ UEFA U21 European Championship qualifier against the Republic of Ireland. Gittens was handed a starting role by manager Lee Carsley as the team sought to maintain their perfect qualifying record, battling not only their opponents but also torrential conditions at St Andrew’s, which ultimately ended in a 2-0 victory for England.

Gittens’ evening, however, came to a premature and worrying end just after the 60-minute mark. The 21-year-old winger appeared to pick up a knock while taking evasive action to avoid a challenge from Irish left-back James McManus inside the penalty area. The nature of the movement suggests a potential twist or muscular problem, though no official diagnosis has been made.

The winger was seen to be in clear discomfort following the incident. In a sign that is often worrying for fans and medical staff, Gittens did not wait to be assessed on the pitch but instead headed straight down the tunnel for treatment after being substituted. He was replaced by Fulham’s Joshua King for the remainder of the match.

The injury brings an unfortunate halt to what has been a promising start to Gittens’ Chelsea career. The attacker, who made the switch to Stamford Bridge from German giants Borussia Dortmund in the summer, has been a key figure in Enzo Maresca’s plans, even if not a consistent starter.

His contribution has been notable, with the dynamic winger featuring 14 times across all competitions for the Blues already this season. In that time, he has demonstrated his value in the final third, registering one goal and providing three assists, often serving as a critical impact player from the bench or a reliable option in cup rotations.

Chelsea’s medical team will now face an anxious wait. The immediate severity of the injury remains unclear. Gittens was expected to be part of the England U21 squad set to face Slovakia on Tuesday, a match that could see Lee Carsley’s side move to the top of Group D. His participation in that fixture is now in serious doubt.

The news could not come at a worse time for Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who has already been grappling with a stretched squad. The Italian coach has been notably short of attacking options in recent weeks, a situation that Gittens’ potential absence will only exacerbate.

This latest setback is compounded by existing fitness concerns within the squad. Maresca is already anxiously awaiting the return of star attacker Cole Palmer, who has been sidelined with a persistent groin problem. The hope was that the international break would provide a recovery window, but Gittens’ injury now adds another name to the treatment list.

The timing is particularly poor given the formidable run of fixtures awaiting Chelsea upon the conclusion of the international break. The Blues must first navigate a Premier League return against Burnley, a match they will be expected to win, before facing a gruelling test of their credentials with two high-profile home fixtures.

The first of these is a glamour European tie against Barcelona, followed by a crucial, top-of-the-table London derby against Arsenal. Having a fully fit squad for this period is considered essential, and the potential loss of Gittens’ pace and creativity is a significant setback to Maresca’s preparations.

On a brighter note for Chelsea’s development pipeline, other young Blues enjoyed strong outings for the U21s. Josh Acheampong was a solid presence in defence, helping the side secure another clean sheet. Tyrique George also found the scoresheet, scoring in stoppage time to seal the 2-0 victory, while Divin Mubama had opened the scoring from the penalty spot, redeeming himself after missing an earlier spot-kick.