Premier League 2019-20: Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger out for another month

Chelsea's injury woes continue as defender Antonio Rudiger is set to be out for another month following a groin surgery undergone on Tuesday. The German international was injured last season before making a brief comeback, only to be hurt yet again. Rudiger joins a long list of Chelsea players who are currently injured or just recovering from them.

The news comes as a bit of shock as he was deemed fit to play as reported by several news outlets last week. Now it seems the player may well be out for a minimum of month ruling out any chances of appearing in November. Responding to rumours last week that Rudiger is fit and ready to play, Lampard said,

"No, he's not fit, I saw the quotes. There was a miscommunication somewhere. He's not fit and will be seeing a consultant on Monday. It's an ongoing issue with his pelvic area which is bothering him. I was surprised with the quotes. It's a miscommunication. He's not there."

Rudiger only managed to play 45 minutes against Wolves before injuring himself.

Rudiger had undergone knee surgery in the summer because of the anterior cruciate ligament tear he suffered last season. He made his comeback playing the first 45 minutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers in September but stretched his groin after slipping on a metal plate.

Antonio Rudiger was an essential part of the Chelsea squad last season that won the UEFA Europa League title and also a top four finish in the Premier League. Frank Lampard won't be overly concerned with the injury because of the encouraging partnership of Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma at the heart of the Chelsea defence. It won't be a smooth return to the first team for Rudiger considering the rich vein of form the current centre-back duo is displaying.