Benoit Badiashile has suffered a serious injury setback (Picture: Getty Images)
Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile is set for around four months on the sidelines through injury and due to miss the start of next season in an early blow to incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The France international picked up a groin problem in training last week and it is serious enough to warrant surgery, which he is due to undergo on Monday.
The 22-year-old is unlikely to be available again until the end of September so the new Chelsea boss will have to make his early plans without the defender at his service.
Chelsea’s bulging squad makes it difficult to predict which players will have important roles under Pochettino when he arrives at Stamford Bridge, but Badiashile is likely to be a player he is keen to work with.
The centre-back arrived from Monaco in January for £35m and has looked good in 11 Premier League appearances, despite a pretty abysmal time for the club under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard.
He is competing in the middle of defence with the likes of Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah, while the futures of Kalidou Koulibaly and Thiago Silva are not clear beyond the summer.
Silva has another year on his Chelsea contract after signing an extention in February, but has been linked with a move back to Brazil with Fluminense. However, he has spoken out against those reports.
Koulibaly only signed for the Blues from Napoli last year for around £33m and was expected to be a big player for them this season but it has been a disappointing debut campaign for him in England.
The 31-year-old has made just 20 Premier League starts and has been linked with a summer exit from Stamford Bridge just 12 months after arriving.
Pochettino is yet to be officially announced as Chelsea’s new manager and much will depend on him and his team of staff when it comes to the future of a string of Blues stars.
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The 22-year-old is sidelined for four months.
