Emiliano Martinez will be sidelined for several weeks after a nasty clash of heads against Everton on Saturday. The Chelsea goalkeeper collided with Toffees defender Jarrad Branthwaite while defending an in-swinging free-kick in the second half.

Medical staff rushed to the Argentina goalkeeper’s aid and spent almost 10 minutes checking on him before he was stretchered off. Martinez was then taken to hospital in Liverpool, where he was diagnosed with a broken jaw and concussion.

Thankfully, Mike Penders held on to a clean sheet on his Premier League debut. He is set to keep his place in Chelsea’s team for an extended period following a mixed update from Argentina on Martinez’s road to recovery.

Pedro Neto has been hailed as an 'unsung hero' for Chelsea. Who else in Xabi Alonso's team is UNDERRATED?!

What the latest injury update means for Emi Martinez

Emiliano Martinez was reportedly set to miss 40 days of football before returning to the Chelsea lineup. This suggested he would next play against Crystal Palace on 2 December, having missed six Chelsea games in all competitions.

However, Argentine journalist German Garcia Grova of TyC Sports has reported both good and bad news for Martinez. The good news is that Martinez “underwent successful surgery for a jaw fracture” and is “already at his house” after a brief stay in hospital.

Unfortunately for Martinez and Chelsea, he is now expected to “be out for between 45 and 60 days”. This means he could also miss Chelsea’s Premier League clashes with Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Manchester City in December.

This puts Mike Penders under immense pressure to make a strong start at Stamford Bridge. Xabi Alonso is highly unlikely to turn to Teddy Sharman-Lowe or Gabriel Slonina, leaving Penders to perform well and help maintain Chelsea’s impressive form in Martinez’s absence.