London, Dec 29 (AP) Chelsea wing back Ben Chilwell is set for a lengthy spell out after a decision was taken to operate on his injured knee, the Premier League club has said.

The England international damaged knee ligaments in a Champions League game against Juventus on Nov. 23 and Chelsea opted initially to take what it described as a “conservative rehab approach.”

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“Unfortunately Ben was unable to progress,” Chelsea said, “and so collectively the decision has been taken to proceed this week with a surgical repair.”

That could rule out Chilwell for the remainder of the season.

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Marcos Alonso is the only other specialist left wing back in the European champions' squad, with manager Thomas Tuchel preferring a 3-4-3 formation. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)