Chelsea captain Reece James has had surgery in an attempt to fix a recurring hamstring injury.
It was the first time he had started a game for Chelsea since 25 November after a previous hamstring injury had ruled him out for eight matches.
The 24-year-old said he had experienced "significantly more hate and negativity" since his latest injury.
Neither James or Chelsea have said how long he is expected to be sidelined for.
"The footballing world knew I got injured but the procedure I would go down this time took slightly longer to figure out the best solution," James posted on Instagram on Thursday.