Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has lifted the lid on Reece James' injury ahead of Saturday's trip to Everton in the seventh round of the Premier League.
Speaking at his press conference, as reported by Football.London website, the Spaniard said: "We are all disappointed, especially for James. He wanted a good start after the international break, but he picked up the injury during the last training session."
He continued: "We wanted to be cautious and wait for the results of the examinations, but the surgery has now been carried out successfully and we will continue to support him. We will not set a date for his return, but he will be out for several weeks."
"We have a squad we can rely on to deal with injuries and carry on working," he added. "I think we will be able to manage things well with the players available."
Asked whether the setback would push Chelsea into the winter market for a replacement, he went on: "Will James's injury affect the way you approach the winter transfer window in terms of signing a player to replace him? No, I don't think so, because we expect him to be back by that period, and perhaps weeks before it. We will see, as the date of his return is not precisely fixed, and therefore the injury will not affect our plans."
Everton, meanwhile, present a very different sort of test. "It will be a game that demands high intensity, a great deal of effort and a quick tempo," he said. "I have never been at the stadium before, but they have told me it is a beautiful stadium with a wonderful atmosphere, so we are looking forward to playing the match."
Clean sheets came up next. "Everyone says Chelsea should be keeping clean sheets. So do you have to sacrifice some of your attacking qualities to achieve that? No, we have to keep working, and I think keeping clean sheets will come with time."
Alonso stressed: "It should not become an obsession. Our main objective is to win and to compete in the best possible way, and I am sure we will succeed in keeping clean sheets. We want to play with a good balance and proper control of the course of the game, but we also want to create chances. The attacking strength we have is wonderful, and the players fit together well and understand each other."
His final word was on consistency: "We have to continue making the most of these qualities, while working towards greater consistency. So far, we have not been satisfied with certain aspects, but I am optimistic that we will produce better performances in the coming period."