Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson suffered a “serious” ankle injury while playing for Senegal.
Jackson was sent off late in Thursday’s 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Diamniadio.
The 22-year-old missed Sunday’s 1-0 win over Mauritania and scans now show a “serious ankle sprain”.
Chelsea face a worrying wait to find out the full extent of the injury, but this could spell an early setback for new head coach Enzo Maresca.
Jackson scored 14 Premier League goals in a solid debut campaign at Stamford Bridge and an interrupted pre-season would be a blow.
Chelsea are expected to return to begin pre-season in early July before heading to the United States, with their first U. S. game against Wrexham on July 24.
A Senegalese Federation player said: “Nicolas Jackson injured his right ankle during the Senegal-DRC match on June 6, 2024.
“Radiological examinations (MRI) performed on June 7 revealed a severe ankle sprain. “
Jackson’s sprained ankle is the latest injury to hit Chelsea. There have been 43 different injuries sustained by Blues players in the 2023-24 season, with Manchester United (45) suffering the most.