Chelsea fear key midfielder N’Golo Kante will miss all six of their matches this month, according to reports.
The Sun and the Daily Telegraph both suggest the hamstring injury that Kante recently picked up while on international duty is likely to rule him out for the rest of October.
That would mean he would miss both of Chelsea’s Champions League group matches against Roma.
Kante picked up the injury while playing for France against Bulgaria last week.
He limped off 11 minutes before half-time in the game in Sofia and has since been assessed by Chelsea’s medical staff.
He will certainly miss this weekend’s London derby away to Crystal Palace, and reports suggest the injury will keep him on the sidelines for a significant period after that.
That would be a huge blow for Chelsea during an important month for the defending Premier League champions both domestically and in the Champions League.
Their midfield options have already been limited, not least because summer signing Danny Drinkwater has yet to play following his move from Leicester City.
Drinkwater, a former Leicester team-mate of Kante, has been recovering from a calf problem and Chelsea are hoping he will soon be available for selection.