injury update - Chelsea suffer another blow with Raheem Sterling injury more serious than expected

 injury update - Chelsea suffer another blow with Raheem Sterling injury more serious than expected

Raheem Sterling picked up an injury on 5 January (Picture: Getty Images)

Chelsea’s injury woes continue as Raheem Sterling is set to be out for longer than expected with a hamstring problem.

The forward went off injured during Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League on 5 January and has missed the subsequent defeats to the same side in the Carabao Cup and then Fulham in the league.

It was hoped that the England star would be back for the trip to Liverpool on 21 January, but The Athletic report that he will be out for much longer.

The report states that the new target for Sterling to return is the trip to Germany to face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on 15 February.

It is a significant blow for the Blues, who are struggling with a number of injuries and now a three-match suspension for loan signing Joao Felix after his red card against Fulham on Thursday.

Beleaguered manager Graham Potter will be without the following string of players for the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday: N’Golo Kante, Sterling, Felix, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic, Edouard Mendy and Denis Zakaria