England’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek reveals gruesome injuries after horror clash | Football | Sport

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has revealed the nasty injuries he has sustained, which will rule him out for at least two months, after an awful clash of heads while playing for AC Milan. The England midfielder was carried off on a stretcher with his head and neck put in a brace after colliding with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi while challenging for a cross at the San Siro last night.  

And it has since been confirmed that the former Chelsea player, 30, faces eight weeks on the sidelines after being left with a broken jaw. He also lost several teeth in the sickening collision that saw him hospitalised. The injuries mean Loftus-Cheek will not be able to take part in England’s next camp for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at the end of March.

An official statement from Loftus-Cheek’s club read: “AC Milan announce that Ruben Loftus-Cheek suffered a significant facial trauma yesterday, which resulted in a fracture of the alveolar process of the jaw.

“The player was admitted to the Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental Clinic department of ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, where today he underwent surgery performed by Dr. Luca Autelitano. The operation to reduce and stabilise the fracture was completely successful. Ruben is doing well and has already been discharged. The estimated recovery time is around eight weeks.”

On Instagram, the midfielder wrote: “It was a tough blow, but the worst is behind me. A heartfelt thanks to all the medical staff who supported me over these past hours with professionalism and care.

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“A special thanks to all the fans for your countless messages of love and support: I’ve read them and they’ve given me incredible strength. Thanks to my team-mates: We are a team, we are a family. Now, forward towards our goals, strong and united, together.”

AC Milan went on to lose 1-0 without Loftus-Cheek, leaving the Rossoneri second in Serie A and 10 points adrift of leaders and arch rivals Inter. Londoner Loftus-Cheek has made 27 appearances for the Italian heavyweights this season, scoring three goals and contributing one assist. This is the 30-year-old’s third season at the club and he is only six games shy of his 100th appearance.

Before that, Loftus-Cheek spent nine years in and around the Chelsea first-team squad and spent time on loan at Crystal Palace and Fulham, both in the Premier League. After 19 years with the Blues having come through the Chelsea academy, he joined Milan in June 2023 for £15million.

The Milan No.8 has earned 11 England caps since his debut in 2017. He had a six-year exile from the international set-up before being recalled by his former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, now in charge of England, last September to replace the injured Adam Wharton.

Loftus-Cheek humbly admitted then: “You still want to push in club football with the hope of maybe getting a sniff [of the England squad]. But I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead.”

Having played multiple positions under Tuchel at Chelsea, Loftus-Cheek was asked if his versatility will help his chances of making the Three Lions’ squad for the upcoming World Cup. He replied: “Who knows. I am able to play different positions. Since I was at AC Milan I have played a lot higher and close to the striker to get goals and help the team in the final third.

“Under Tuchel I played a lot deeper. I am able to do that and with things that can happen in a tournament, being versatile is a good thing. When it comes to that I am happy to play anywhere for the team and do my best in any position.”

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