Ruben Loftus-Cheek has broken his silence on a gruesome injury that saw him break his jaw and lose several teeth while playing for AC Milan.
The midfielder was rushed to hospital on Sunday after suffering a nasty head injury, which saw him placed in a neck brace and onto a stretcher having been left in a bloody mess following a challenge from opposing goalkeeper Edoardo.
The former Chelsea man, 30, had challenged for a ball with the Parma goalkeeper during his side's 1-0 defeat in Serie A, and he hit the deck as team-mates rushed to check on him.
After a lengthy period of play that saw the star checked out on the pitch, he was eventually placed onto the stretcher and taken to hospital for further checks.
It has been reported that Loftus-Cheek broke his jaw and faces a period out injured. It is also said that a number of his teeth were broken, and he will now enter a period of recovery.
Taking to social media hours after the incident, he wrote: 'It was a tough blow, but the worst is behind me. A heartfelt thanks to all the medical staff who supported me over these past hours with professionalism and care.'
He also shared snaps of what appeared to be pre and post-surgery photos - one with a number of his teeth missing, and another with the issue fixed.
The incident happened not long after kick-off, with the midfielder withdrawn after 11 minutes of play.
To make matters worse, his side lost the game, with Mariano Troilo scoring the decisive goal 10 minutes from time.
The result leaves Milan 10 points adrift of rivals Inter at the top of Serie A. Loftus-Cheek's side are second in the standings, but face a tough task if they are to topple their Milan rivals in the race for the title.
Loftus-Cheek has played 95 times for Milan since joining from Chelsea in 2023. He has scored 13 goals in that time and has become a regular under Massimiliano Allegri.
Prior to his arrival in Italy, he had played 155 times for Chelsea while also enjoying loan spells at Crystal Palace and Fulham.
If he recovers in time he may also be a candidate for England's World Cup squad in the summer, having been called up to the side by Thomas Tuchel last year. His latest cap prior to that came in 2018.