On Thursday, Petr Cech gave his assessment of the facial injury that currently rules him out of action. Now adding to the keeper's words is Chelsea club doctor Bryan English.

He was one of the first to treat the player and speaking exclusively to Chelsea TV, English revealed that the stitches in the wound are due to be removed in three-to-four days, adding:

'It is healing very well. I admire plastic surgeons' talents at putting wounds back together.

'You have to respect the wound and all the hassle Petr went through having a general anaesthetic and getting it back together again. So he's avoiding contact, avoiding a bouncing ball coming into his face over the next couple of days.'

Cech revealed earlier this week that he is back in controlled training and English confirmed the player had recovered from an ankle injury that had kept him out of the nine games prior to this latest injury setback.

'He was in his second training session since he had come back, he was looking good, he was looking sharp. Whether Avram would have selected him to play against Fenerbahçe I am not sure, but he was available for selection.

'He was very unlucky to get this injury. I am just glad he has had some good luck this year with the birth of his first child which is fit and well.'

English also explained the severity of the cut and why it needed specialist surgery.

'When you have a deep cut, you have several layers that you need to sew back together again. You have what are called facial layers and there was a torn muscle as well.

'That's why a lot of stitches are deep as well as those sticking the skin back together again. It was the depth that was a little more of a concern rather than the length of the cut.

'Ricardo Carvalho had a cut probably of greater length along the top of his head three-to-four weeks ago and he was training again the following day.

'The cut Petr had his from his lip down to his jaw is a little more of a vulnerable area and you have to look at it from an aesthetic point of view as well as a football point of view.

'If that wound doesn't heal well, or it broke down again, then it could become a more ugly-looking scar.

'It is a flesh wound and he is going to have a full recovery.'