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!It's only a small problem...we think only two weeks".
Oh...
Yossi Benayoun perplexed by Chelsea's failure to spot torn achilles
• Midfielder ruled out by injury for the next six months
• Tear only spotted by Israel squad's team doctor
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 October 2010 20.08 BST
Yossi Benayoun has admitted his surprise and dismay that Chelsea's medical staff "missed" detecting the seriousness of an achilles injury after the Israel international was tonight ruled out for up to six months. The 30-year-old midfielder, a £5.5m signing from Liverpool in the summer, will travel to Finland on Sunday to have surgery the next day at the clinic of Dr Sakari Orava – the surgeon who operated on David Beckham in February – after Chelsea confirmed the findings of the Israeli national team doctor, Dr Mark Rosnovsky, and finally pinpointed a serious tear to an achilles.
Benayoun had been dogged by a tendon problem since the beginning of the season, with his club under the impression that it was treatable with careful management, only for scans at Tel Aviv's Assuta hospital to reveal a more disturbing reality. "The truth is that this entire situation is very strange," Benayoun said. "I had three MRIs and three ultrasounds and they all said that there was no problem, and it was just a small tear.
"I came to Israel ready to play and they told me it was a big tear. Chelsea were sure it was something small. They have compared all the images and they do not understand how they missed it. They said it is unusual to have such a big tear and not be in terrible pain. Even now I am not in pain but I cannot take one step by myself until I undergo surgery."
Benayoun has not played since apparently tearing a calf muscle in the Carling Cup defeat to Newcastle last month, though he was permitted to travel to Israel – via a visit to Marijana Kovacevic, whose treatments include the use of fluids from a cow's placenta, in Belgrade – to join up with the national squad. He had travelled still hoping to take part in his country's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Croatia and Greece. But he must now hope just to return to the first-team before the end of the current campaign. "I hope Chelsea have a successful season so I can come back and help win trophies in the final weeks," he added.
Carlo Ancelotti will hope Frank Lampard's expected return from a groin complaint will off-set the long-term loss of the Israeli, though the Italian has serious concerns over the make-up of his defence in Saturday's awkward Premier League game at Aston Villa. Alex, like Salomon Kalou, is continuing his recovery from a thigh problem and is not due back to full training until next week, when the first team are in Russia for the Champions League tie against Spartak Moscow.
John Terry, meanwhile, is still a doubt for the game at Villa Park after landing on his coccyx in training with England, a fall that ruled him out of yesterday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro and has, as yet, prevented him returning to full training with his club side. The young Dutch defender Jeffrey Bruma, who has been suffering from a tight hamstring which led to his being omitted from the Holland under-21s squad in midweek, is due to join the rest of the first-team squad today and could be asked to partner Branislav Ivanovic at centre-half at Villa Park.
