Armando Broja was carried out on a stretcher with an expected knee injury during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, handing Graham Potter a major blow.
Midway through the first half, the striker collided with Ezri Konsa and immediately screamed in pain while gripping his right knee.
Haunting screams from Armando Broja, this doesn’t look good at all.
Heartbreaking. Speedy recovery. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/rPhk4WDryA
— Barstool Football (@StoolFootball) December 11, 2022
Broja has been sent for scans to seek a diagnosis but it is feared to be an anterior cruciate ligament injury by the initial reaction of the player.
An ACL tear would likely see Broja out of action until the end of the Premier League season.
Potter, who has limited options in attack beyond summer addition Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, may feel obliged to shop around for a new forward in January as a result.
Chelsea went behind after just seven minutes when Villa captain John McGinn tucked away the only goal of the mid-season friendly.
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Omari Hutchinson was a livewire for the Blues throughout the contest, continually wreaking havoc on the right flank, and rattled the post shortly before half-time with a in-swinging effort.
Meanwhile, Marcus Bettinelli will have impressed Potter on his chance having made important one-on-one saves against both Leon Bailey and substitute Danny Ings midway through the second half.
While Potter used the mid-season friendly as an opportunity to experiment with a handful of unproven youth players, Unai Emery opted for experience as he selected an almost full-strength line-up in a bid to build momentum.
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