AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek was carried off on a stretcher with a serious head injury, which left him in a neck brace, after a collision with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi. The former Chelsea midfielder had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes before the incident occurred, with the pair clashing as they both challenged for a cross. Blood was visible on his face and DAZN reported that the most severe damage was to his teeth.
The Englishman was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for further examination, though he never lost consciousness despite the alarming scenes that followed. Loftus-Cheek has been plying his trade in Italy since 2023, having previously turned out for a number of London clubs, including Fulham and Crystal Palace. The 30-year-old had established himself as a first-team regular at the San Siro, but now faces a spell on the sidelines, even though no official timeline or diagnosis has yet been provided following the injury.
Milan’s troubles on Sunday were further compounded by Matteo Gabbia’s withdrawal during the warm-up, before they eventually succumbed to a late defeat. AC Milan currently occupy second place in Serie A and had gone unbeaten in the league since the opening weekend of the season, yet they remain some distance behind leaders and city rivals Inter Milan.
Despite plying his trade in Italy, Loftus-Cheek remains firmly in England’s thoughts ahead of the World Cup, so much so that he earned a surprise recall earlier this season.
He had endured a near seven-year exile from the national set-up, but was brought back when Thomas Tuchel required emergency injury cover.
He hadn’t featured for the Three Lions since a friendly against the United States in November 2018. The midfielder would subsequently rupture his Achilles in 2019 whilst playing for Chelsea in a friendly ahead of the Europa League final, and consequently dropped off England’s radar.
Loftus-Cheek admitted in September: « When I ruptured my Achilles, I was on such a high [before it happened], so after that I had a hard time mentally. But I was still young, I still had time to come back, so I wasn’t too low.
« You still want to push in club football with the hope of maybe getting a sniff. But I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead. »
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