AC Milan star Ruben Loftus-Cheek reveals gruesome injuries after undergoing surgery on broken jaw

The 30-year-old midfielder lasted less than 11 minutes of an Italian top-flight fixture at San Siro. That is because he collided with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi early on - with both men competing for a ball played into the penalty area.

Corvi got his hands to the delivery in question, diverting it away from danger, but ended up clattering into Loftus-Cheek. A sickening clash of heads left Milan’s No.8 in a crumpled heap on the turf.

Immediate medical attention was required, with concussion fears being raised. Loftus-Cheek was clearly in some discomfort, and a lot of pain. Physios tended to him on the pitch, with a neck brace being fitted. He was then taken away on a stretcher.

Loftus-Cheek has now delivered an update on his condition, with images shared on social media making it look as though he had gone 12 rounds in a heavyweight boxing match, rather than 10 minutes of a footballing one.

He has undergone an operation to realign his fractured jaw, with swelling yet to subside. Alongside pictures of his mangled mouth, Loftus-Cheek said: “It was a tough blow, but the worst is behind me. A heartfelt thanks to all the medical staff who supported me over these past hours with professionalism and care.

“A special thanks to all the fans for your countless messages of love and support: I’ve read them and they’ve given me incredible strength. Thanks to my team-mates: We are a team, we are a family. Now, forward towards our goals, strong and united, together.”

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Loftus-Cheek suffered an alveolar fracture, which is the ridged part of the jaw that contains sockets for the teeth. He is missing a few of those, which will require him to pay a visit to a dental practice at some stage.

It has been suggested that Loftus-Cheek could be missing for around two months, which would rule him out of contention for selection by England in their final friendly dates before Thomas Tuchel settles on a 26-man World Cup squad.

The Rossoneri said in an official statement: “AC Milan announce that Ruben Loftus-Cheek suffered a significant facial trauma yesterday, which resulted in a fracture of the alveolar process of the jaw.

“The player was admitted to the Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental Clinic department of ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, where today he underwent surgery performed by Dr Luca Autelitano.

“The operation to reduce and stabilise the fracture was completely successful. Ruben is doing well and has already been discharged. The estimated recovery time is around eight weeks.”

Loftus-Cheek has earned 11 senior caps for England, having made his debut in 2017, and has figured under former Chelsea boss Tuchel. He does, however, face fierce competition for places in the Three Lions’ ranks from the likes of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White.

His dreams of gracing this summer’s World Cup may have been dashed, with opportunities to catch the eye set to be limited through to the end of the 2025-26 campaign. He will be restricted to a spectator role over the coming weeks.

There is nothing that he can do when it comes to aiding Milan’s bid to secure Champions League qualification. They had been hoping to mount a Serie A title bid this season, but have fallen off the pace being set by arch-rivals Inter.

The Rossoneri have suffered just two league defeats this season - with the most recent of those coming in a 1-0 loss to Parma - but sit 10 points adrift of Inter with 12 games left to be taken in. It remains to be seen when Loftus-Cheek will line up again alongside the likes of USMNT star Christian Pulisic and Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric.