Verón misery goes on
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Article summary
Chelsea FC will be without Juan Sebastián Verón for another three months after he underwent back surgery.
Article body
Champions League casualty
Verón has reportedly undergone surgery in Argentina in an attempt to cure a herniated disc problem, and is therefore ruled out of both Chelsea's UEFA Champions League first knockout round games against VfB Stuttgart. In addition, he will also be a serious doubt for any quarter-final, to be played in late March and early April, should his side progress.
Lengthy lay-off
The 28-year-old midfield player has not featured for his club since the 5-0 Premiership win against Newcastle United FC on 9 November, although he did appear as a substitute in Argentina's 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia ten days later. The problem was first detected when he reported to the national team for the match.
Window closing
With the winter transfer window closing on 2 February, Chelsea have funds available if they wish to strengthen their squad, and have been strongly linked in recent weeks with Charlton Athletic FC's England international midfield player Scott Parker.
