If we thought we could’ve done without seeing Michael Essien leaving the field against Apoel Nicosia Tuesday night, the we could definitely have done without reading a statement on the official website saying “Michael Essien today (Wednesday) underwent an examination on the injury he suffered in last night’s Champions League game.  The results of scans show a tear in his left hamstring and he is expected to be out for three to four weeks.”

Effectively for us though, that’s around two months if you add the African Cup of Nations on as well, because even if he’s not regarded fit enough to be released for Ghana, they can still stop him playing for us until January 31st.  So, we could be without our midfield beast for as many as nine Premier League games.

And bearing in mind Essien’s importance in our midfield, can anyone work out quite what Carlo Ancelotti was thinking risking him in a game that would otherwise have been pretty insignificant for us?

Filed under: Current Players, Injuries, Rants