Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel to miss entire season with cruciate ligament injury

Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel is likely to miss the remainder of the season as a result of the injury he sustained in the Capital One Cup win over Swindon.

Van Ginkel was making only his second start for the Blues following his summer move from Vitesse Arnhem when he went down following a challenge from Alex Pritchard.

Despite trying to carry on, the 20-year-old was forced off in the tenth minute, raising fears that he had suffered a serious injury.

Scans have confirmed the Dutchman tore his anterior cruciate ligament which will require surgery, ruling Van Ginkel out for between six to nine months.

Chelsea paid around £8million of van Ginkel in July, but it looks as though his season has now ended after seeing just 97 minutes of action. 

The Dutchman showed glimpses of his potential during his only other start against Basel in the Champions League, and he also looked impressive when coming off the bench against Hull and Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League