Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi will miss the rest of the season and England’s Nations League exploits after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon on Monday.
The teenager was withdrawn in the 41st-minute of a pulsating game that saw the shares spoiled in a 2-2 draw that saw Chelsea return to the top four, but boos ring out at the final whistle.
N’Golo Kante and Gonzalo Higuain blasted two goals in as many minutes for the Blues, but rank set-piece defending let Jeff Hendrick and Ashley Barnes plunder goals for the Clarets.
While Burnley’s actions on the touchline towards the end of the match upset Maurizio Sarri and saw him sent to the stands, Chelsea’s immediate concern will be for that of their teenage prodigy, who now faces an extended time on the sidelines.
The 18-year-old will miss England’s Nations League exploits this summer, and Chelsea’s final push for a top-four Premier League finish and Europa League glory, with the first leg of their semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt on May 2.
“Really gutted to end my season with a ruptured Achilles, got to work hard and try to come back stronger for next season,” Hudson-Odoi posted on Twitter.
The news will also cast a serious doubt on the teenage winger’s future. Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are all said to be monitoring the England winger’s situation at Stamford Bridge, while Liverpool are also said to be in the mix for his signature.
The winger is out of contract in 2020, though manager Sarri insisted recently he remains convinced the player will commit to a new deal and ignore overtures from the likes of Bayern Munich, who submitted a £35m bid for him in the January transfer window.
However, news of his injury is likely to put transfer talk to bed as the winger, who has played 24 times for the club this season, puts his focus into recovering as quickly as possible.
Chelsea also lost goalscorer Kante to injury on Monday night, but assistant manager Gianfranco Zola expects the France star to recover quickly from a “contusion” to his ribs.
