The Frenchman sustained the problem during the final phase of last season and he has yet to make a competitive appearance for the club.

It was anticipated that he would return to full training by mid-September, but he has suffered a fresh setback which has delayed his comeback.

The news is a blow for the Blues, who have limited choices in central defence at the current point. Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana are also injured.

Chelsea have made a poor start to the Premier League campaign and they have picked up only five points from their first five matches.

The whole host of injuries have not helped their cause. They are currently missing more than 12 players with different injury concerns.

They will be back in Premier League action at the weekend against Aston Villa , who won't be easy to beat despite the home advantage.

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