Micheal Essien is fighting an uphill battle to be fit for the second leg of Chelsea’s Champions League first knockout round tie against Inter Milan on March 16.
The 27-year-old had an operation in January but he is currently still recuperating at a sporting injury clinic in France alongside left-back Ashley Cole, who has a fractured ankle.
More recently has been recovering from a knee problem sustained in January while on international duty with Ghana at the African Nations Cup.
Chelsea trail 2-1 after the first leg of the last-16 tie at the Giuseppe Meazza, and it looks unlikely Carlo Ancelotti will have a full-strength squad to pick from as he looks to defeat Jose Mourinho.
