Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be sidelined for several months after suffering a fractured alveolar bone during AC Milan‘s defeat to Parma at San Siro, according to SkySport.
The injury occurred inside the opening stages of the match, when the midfielder attacked a cross into the penalty area and collided heavily with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi.
There was an initial coming together with Corvi before further contact with defender Valenti, and Loftus-Cheek went down immediately, clutching his face.
Medical staff rushed onto the field to administer first aid, as blood was already visible under his nose and along his cheekbone.
After several minutes on the ground, his neck was stabilised in a brace, and he was carried off on a stretcher amidst applause from the San Siro crowd.
Loftus-Cheek was replaced by Jashari after just seven minutes, leaving Milan to reorganise quickly. The Englishman’s early exit raised immediate concern among the crowd, as he was taken for hospital tests.
Initial fears centred around a possible concussion, but hospital tests later confirmed there was no loss of consciousness and no other head trauma.
Instead, examinations revealed broken upper teeth, two facial cuts, one to the forehead, and a fracture to the alveolar bone.
The 30-year-old is scheduled to undergo surgery today, Monday, February 23. The injury is considered serious and he is expected to be out for an extended period, with his recovery likely to take several months.
Corvi later posted a brief message on Instagram wishing Loftus-Cheek a speedy recovery following the accidental collision.
