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Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens was forced off during England Under-21s' clash against the Republic of Ireland on Friday night after picking up an injury
Chelsea have been dealt a fresh injury blow with summer acquisition Jamie Gittens sustaining a problem while on international duty.
The winger, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund during the summer transfer window, featured for England under-21s on Friday evening in their fixture against the Republic of Ireland.
However, Gittens' participation was cut short just past the hour mark after he attempted to sidestep a challenge from James McManus. The youngster made his way directly down the tunnel following his substitution by Fulham prospect Joshua King.
England under-21 manager Lee Carsley will be hoping the forward has escaped serious damage as he prepares his squad for their forthcoming encounter with Slovakia on Tuesday evening. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will equally be monitoring the situation closely.
The Blues are back in action next weekend against newly-promoted Burnley, with Barcelona, Arsenal, Leeds, Bournemouth and Atalanta all lined up ahead of a busy festive schedule.
Maresca will certainly want as many of his squad fit and firing for the back-to-back showdowns with Barcelona and Arsenal on Tuesday, November 25 and Sunday, November 30 respectively. Both mouth-watering clashes will offer a clear indication of where they're at in regards to their hopes of real success in the Champions League and Premier League this season.
Gittens joined for £48.5m from Dortmund in the summer and has subsequently featured 14 times across all competitions - including six starts - registering one goal alongside three assists.
Thankfully, Maresca has shown no hesitation in rotating his squad this campaign despite facing criticism from Wayne Rooney.
Discussing his methodology, the Chelsea manager commented: "We are in an era where anyone can say what they want. Since I joined the club, it's my view to rotate players.
"No-one complains when you win. When you don't win I can understand no-one is agreeing.
"I loved rotation as a player. Football is a bit different compared to years ago in terms of physicality and intensity. It's impossible to play with the same players 65 games in one season.
"If you want to see the season like a marathon, when you are in February and March, the last sprint, you have to think in a different way. But it's a long race."
Currently, Chelsea are holding a strong third position in the Premier League after an impressive start to the new season.
They've also kicked off their Champions League campaign on a high note, securing victories in two of their first four matches.
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