England international Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to miss roughly eight weeks after AC Milan confirmed he had surgery on a fractured jaw.
The club announced on Monday that the 30-year-old sustained serious facial damage, identifying it as a fracture of the alveolar process. He has since left the hospital after the procedure was successfully completed.
Loftus-Cheek later provided an update on Instagram, reassuring supporters that the most difficult part of the ordeal was over.
He expressed gratitude to the medical team for their professionalism and care and thanked fans for their messages of encouragement. He also acknowledged his teammates, describing the squad as both a team and a family.
Injury sustained in defeat to Parma
The incident occurred during Milan’s 1-0 loss against Parma on Sunday.
Loftus-Cheek was involved in a collision with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi while contesting a cross early in the Serie A encounter.
Medical staff placed his head and neck in a brace before he was stretchered off the pitch.
Mariano Troilo netted the decisive goal in the 80th minute, leaving Parma in 12th place in the standings.
World Cup aim and league situation
The midfielder is targeting a place in England’s squad for the World Cup, which begins in June.
He recently earned his first international appearance in seven years, coming off the bench against Wales in October after being recalled by manager Thomas Tuchel.
In Serie A, Milan sits second in the table, trailing city rivals Inter Milan by 10 points. Inter secured their seventh consecutive league victory with a 2-0 win over Lecce on Saturday.