Bournemouth have announced Jermain Defoe will miss the next eight to 10 weeks after fracturing his ankle against Chelsea in midweek.
Defoe was forced off 17 minutes into Bournemouth’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the League Cup on Wednesday following a strong challenge from teenage defender Ethan Ampadu.
It was feared the 35-year-old had suffered ankle ligament damage at the time but now Bournemouth have revealed the veteran striker has actually broken his ankle.
“AFC Bournemouth can confirm that striker Jermain Defoe suffered a fracture of his right ankle in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Chelsea,” a statement read on the club’s official website.
“The 35-year-old sustained the injury in a tackle in the opening minutes of the tie at Stamford Bridge and was subsequently assessed by the club’s medical staff before being sent to see a specialist on Friday. Defoe is expected to be sidelined for around eight to 10 weeks.”
The news comes as a hammer blow to Defoe’s chances of making the 2018 World Cup with England as he will now not feature again until late March.
Defoe has struggled for consistent first team football at Bournemouth this season and things have not gone as planned for the former Tottenham striker.
In fact, the Bournemouth striker has only scored three goals from 20 shots in the Premier League since returning to the club over the summer.
