Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has revealed he is currently on a diet of pureed food as he recovers from a broken jaw.

The Argentine goalkeeper has been discussing the details of his injury this week as he focuses on his recovery from the injury suffered against Everton.

It’s been just under two weeks since a heavy collision with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite left the Chelsea goalkeeper knocked out on the pitch for more than ten minutes.

It was later revealed that he had suffered a broken jaw in the incident, which has required four screws and various pins to be placed in his jaw.

Fortunately, there have been no major side effects to date, with the goalkeeper even revealing this week that he’ll be in Argentina’s squad for the next international break in November.

Unable to eat

The big consequence has been on his eating habits. Right now, he can’t eat anything solid, meaning he’s eating like a newborn instead.

Right now, I can’t eat anything solid—everything has to be puréed; I’m like a baby,” he told TyC.

“That said, I haven’t lost any weight. I’ve managed that with the help of a nutritionist who keeps me in good shape. Though I do sometimes lack strength during training sessions.”

The injury is particularly frustrating for the 33-year-old, who had been hoping to avoid any surgery during his career. Instead, he’s now had two in two months.

“I had hoped to finish my career without ever needing surgery—it had never happened to me before. In the end, I’ve had two in two months, but that’s football,” he admitted.

Lucky

Strangely, though, the Chelsea goalkeeper is counting his blessings. A head injury such as this one could have been significantly worse.

Indeed, the fact that Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has missed Everton’s last two games due to concussion protocols perhaps demonstrates just how nasty the collision between the pair was.

Martinez, though, is looking on the positive side. He sees a jaw injury such as this one as a blessing in disguise.

“Honestly, I’d rather have a jaw injury than a head injury,” he conclude.

“It was one of the ‘nicest’ knockouts—in the UFC, it would have been the ‘Knockout of the Night.’ I was seeing ‘little birds’ (stars/hallucinations) for days.

“The only thing I remember is the foul committed by Caicedo. After that, I don’t remember coming off the pitch, the impact itself, or even leaving the stadium.”