Petr Cech is struggling to get through the rest of the season and is already scheduled in for surgery next summer, according to Czech Republic doctor Petr Krejci. The 30-year-old will continue to play despite an elbow injury, with Chelsea coming to an agreement with his country that will see him rested for all international friendlies.

It’s understood that for the time being, the injury poses no problem and Cech should be able to manage his way through the season. However, should the former Rennes shot-stopper experience more pain or a lack of movement in the elbow area, immediate surgery would have to be the course of action and this would result in a significant time on the treatment table. Bearing this in mind, the Blues are desperate for Cech to pull through and wait until next summer to go under the knife.

Fortunately, there has been no club versus country this time around and the Czech Republic have surprisingly agreed to rest Cech for their international friendlies. Speaking to CTK, the team’s doctor Petr Krejci said, “An investigation showed a bit of ossification in his elbow, so they [Chelsea] are planning a surgery in England after the season. They have asked us if we could rest him in friendly fixtures. We have come to an agreement with coach Michal Bilek and decided to be on good terms with Chelsea. There is nothing to be worried about, though. There is basically nothing that could make this problem worse.”

Should Cech be forced onto the treatment table at any point, it will be left to either Ross Turnbull or Hilario to replace him. However, with both experiencing limited first team action over the years, Roberto Di Matteo might even have to shop for a short-term replacement. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.