Emiliano Martinez has said he expects to return to action for his Chelsea bosses within weeks after successful surgery on a broken jaw. The Argentina international suffered the injury in a challenge with Jarrad Branthwaite during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton in the Premier League.
The goalkeeper was stretchered off after more than ten minutes of treatment at Hill Dickinson Stadium and rushed to hospital for tests. It was later confirmed that Martinez had sustained a broken jaw, and he revealed on Sunday afternoon that the operation had been a success.
Taking to social media, the 34-year-old wrote:
“Thanks to everyone for the messages, the operation went well. The most important thing is that we won and with a bow at 0. We’ll be back in a few weeks 🫶”
Martinez, who had been replaced by Mike Penders on Merseyside, would have been celebrating his first clean sheet for the club, which marked their first Premier League clean sheet in nine months. Although the goalkeeper is optimistic, reports from Argentina claim that Martinez may require up to six or seven weeks to fully recover from the injury. Penders, 21, has been named as his likely replacement during his absence.
Emiliano Martinez’s Bright Start At Chelsea Halted By Injury
The injury comes just weeks after Martinez completed his move to Stamford Bridge, having joined the Blues from Aston Villa for a reported £7.5m. The Premier League side had pursued the World Cup winner in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, with Martinez’s experience at the top flight convincing them to take the plunge.
The Argentine spent six years at Villa after joining from Arsenal in 2020 and became a key member of their defensive line. Martinez racked up a staggering 60 clean sheets in the league for the Villans. Despite the setback, Martinez had played a crucial role in the Blues’ win over Everton. They will hope his recovery goes smoothly ahead of a busy schedule of upcoming fixtures.