Chelsea defender Alex has been ruled out of action for three weeks with a thigh injury.

Alex, who scored a stunning free-kick in the 2-0 win over Arsenal last Sunday, sustained the problem in the closing stages of the game at Stamford Bridge.

Scans have shown Alex has strained his thigh muscle and the central defender has been forced to withdraw from the Brazil squad to take on Iran on Thursday and Ukraine next Monday.

The former PSV Eindhoven stopper is set to miss three weeks of action, ruling him out of the trip to Aston Villa after the international break and the UEFA Champions League tie with Spartak Moscow

The news is a blow for Chelsea as they are already missing injured duo Frank Lampard and Yossi Benayoun.


Sky Sports