Chukwueze has hip surgery in London and will miss Nigeria's Tanzania double-header

Samuel Chukwueze has undergone surgery in London on a ruptured tendon in his left hip, AC Milan confirmed on Wednesday 4 November, and the Nigerian will miss his country's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Tanzania in November.

The club said the operation to repair a ruptured tendon of the tensor fasciae latae muscle was successful. It was performed by Professor Ernest Schilders, with Dr Stefano Mazzoni in attendance, and Chukwueze was due to fly back to Italy the same day to begin his rehabilitation.

"AC Milan confirms that Samuel Chukwueze has undergone surgery in London to repair a ruptured tendon of the tensor fasciae latae muscle in his left hip," the club said in its statement. "The operation, performed by Professor Ernest Schilders with Dr. Stefano Mazzoni in attendance, was successful."

From mid-December to the spring

The news is a significant setback for a player who had been enjoying an encouraging start to the season. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chukwueze has been sidelined since Milan's match against Atalanta on Sunday 18 October, a game Soccernet NG reported Milan won 3-2 in Serie A.

Milan's medical staff initially tried to manage the hip problem conservatively, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported, but that approach did not produce the desired result. The decision to operate has lengthened the recovery time considerably. Where Chukwueze had been expected back by mid-December, the newspaper reported that Milan now risk having him available only towards the spring.

That leaves the Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim without the Nigerian for an extended period. Premium Times reported that Chukwueze had adapted to a new wing-back role under Amorim and registered two assists in eight appearances across all competitions before the injury struck in October.

Since then he has watched from the sidelines. Premium Times reported that he missed Milan's fixtures against Udinese, Inter Milan, Bologna and Bournemouth, with Soccernet NG noting that the Bournemouth game was a Europa League trip and the other three were league matches.

For a player who had worked his way into a regular role in a new position, the timing could hardly be worse. A mid-December return would have cost him a handful of weeks. A return in the spring means missing a large chunk of the campaign, and it will be some time before Amorim can plan around him again.

A blow for Chelle and the Super Eagles

The consequences stretch beyond Milan. Premium Times reported on Thursday 5 November that Chukwueze has been ruled out of Nigeria's upcoming AFCON qualifying double-header against Tanzania, leaving head coach Eric Chelle with one fewer attacking option.