Chelsea’s Carvalho out for a month

(GSM) – Chelsea will be without Ricardo Carvalho for at least a month after the defender damaged ankle ligaments in a 5-0 victory at Portsmouth.

Chelsea will determine over the next 24 hours whether Carvalho requires surgery after he was hurt in Wednesday’s Premier League match – the Portugal international’s first game after a month out injured. Carvalho’s setback is the latest in a long line of injury blows to Chelsea’s title hopes, with the team just one point behind leader Manchester United.

A spokesman for the club said, “Chelsea can confirm that Ricardo Carvalho suffered ankle ligament damage in last night’s game against Portsmouth.”

“The club will be able to determine over the next 24 hours whether the injury requires corrective surgery, however we can confirm at this point that he’ll be out for at least four weeks,” he explained.

His injury leaves Chelsea with just two first-choice central defenders in Brazilian Alex and Captain John Terry and comes just days after right-back Branislav Ivanovic was ruled out for a month following a knee injury sustained during the 1-1 draw at Blackburn last weekend.

Chelsea have already been without left-back Ashley Cole, midfielder Michael Essien and right-back Jose Bosingwa for much of the season.

Cole fractured his ankle, Essien collected a serious knee injury and Bosingwa needs more surgery on his ankle problem.

The latest injuries mean Chelsea will go into the title run-in without five first-team regulars.