Fears Chelsea's Lacroix could be out until January

France international Lacroix suffered a serious hamstring injury in Wednesday's Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool and could miss up to 10 matches, with sources suggesting he may not return until January.

Chelsea defender Maxence Lacroix sustained a serious hamstring injury during the first half of Wednesday's Carabao Cup penalty loss to Liverpool, when he sprinted to block a shot. Multiple sources told BBC Sport the France international could be sidelined until January, potentially missing up to 10 Premier League and cup matches.

Manager Xabi Alonso was cautious about the timeline at his pre-match press conference before Saturday's visit of Manchester United, saying Lacroix would be "a few weeks out" and unavailable before the international break. The 26-year-old, signed from Crystal Palace for £52m in the summer, has been a key player for Chelsea this season, starting all but one of their 11 matches across all competitions.

Chelsea have alternatives in their six-man centre-back group including Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana and Josh Acheampong, though Jorrel Hato and Aaron Anselmino are also currently injured. Alonso expressed confidence in his available options, praising Fofana's recent performance despite his penalty miss in the shootout.