Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante is facing FOUR MONTHS out after undergoing hamstring surgery.
Kante will now miss the World Cup as France seek to defend their crown.
He managed to play just the first two games of the campaign before picking up the problem.
And, after visiting a specialist, the decision was made for Kante to have surgery on his hamstring.
A Chelsea statement on Tuesday evening said: "N'Golo Kante has undergone an operation on his hamstring injury.
"The midfielder visited a specialist with the club's medical department to explore the options for his rehabilitation approach.
"It was mutually agreed for N'Golo to have surgery to repair the damage.
"Following a successful operation, N'Golo is now expected to be sidelined for four months."
