Petr Cech is in rehabilitation after undergoing an operation to repair facial injuries suffered in training. The injury is the latest in a long line of absences that the giant keeper has served in the last two seasons, adding further question marks to his durability since his collision with Stephen Hunt in october 2006. Cech had only just returned to training from a 9-week lay off due to an ankle problem when the latest collision occured. Chelsea had refused to expand on the incident which sparked rumours of an altercation after stories that John Terry, Didier Drogba and Claude Makelele had all been involved in training ground bust-ups with fellow teammates and staff this season. Sky Sports have now revealed it was a freak accident involving defender Tal Ben Haim which caused ruptures to Cechs face, but he is hoping it won’t keep him out of action for long:

“It is not that serious. I might be back in 2 weeks. It depends what the plastic surgeon will say to me. I collided with a teammate while we were both going for the ball, my lower lip and chin was torn.”

Cech could make his return against Man United but expect to see him in some sort of ridicolous phantom of the opera face mask to match the cycling helmet he already wears in matches – because this man is the Mr Bean of Premiership football.