Bridge blow leaves Chelsea short

Chelsea FC and England left-back Wayne Bridge will miss the start of the English season after undergoing a hip operation in the United States. "The operation was carried out this week and a piece of bone was removed which was the source of the problem. Wayne should be back in two to three months," said club doctor Alex Nieper.

Left-back problems
Capped 25 times, the 26-year-old Bridge made 22 league appearances last season. The London club will now be hoping Ashley Cole can regain his fitness ahead of their new campaign or else José Mourinho may be forced to employ new signing Tal Ben Haim in an unfamiliar left-back position. There was better news for the Chelsea manager with Michael Ballack, John Obi Mikel and Paulo Ferreira all on the road to recovery following recent injuries. Stamford Bridge will play host to UEFA Champions League football again this year, with the Premier League runners-up joining the competition at the group stage.