• Initial reports hinted at a potentially serious knee injury
• Chelsea will assess Cech’s fitness over next few days

Chelsea will monitor Petr Cech after the goalkeeper injured his calf during the 2-1 defeat to Inter in the Champions League. Cech was carried off the pitch on a stretcher in the second half but fears he had suffered a serious knee injury have been allayed by the club.

The injury occurred when Cech took a cross unchallenged but fell in agony after landing, signalling to the bench that he could not continue. Happily for the 27-year-old and Chelsea the injury was not as bad as first suspected, although it will be assessed over the next few days.

The return leg of their last-16 tie against Inter is not for three weeks, so Chelsea will be hopeful Cech will have recovered by then. If he fails to regain fitness in time, Hilario, who replaced him tonight, should deputise.

“We have to wait and control his condition over the next few days,” said Chelsea’s manager Carlo Ancelotti. “He has an injury on his calf. We cannot say now when he will return to the squad.”

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