Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has declared that Kevin de Bruyne's early injury prognosis is positive, ruling out a long-term absence for the Belgian youngster.
De Bruyne left the field on a stretcher during yesterday's 4-1 win over a Malaysia XI after hurting his knee while hitting a volley towards goal.
Mourinho believes that the injury is not serious after an initial diagnosis, ruling out potential knee ligament damage.
He told Sky Sports News: "When he was on the floor and asking for a change, everyone on the bench thought the worst.
"The first assessment by the doctor is that it's not ligaments, that's for sure, and if it's something in the meniscus it has to be a very small injury. So we believe it's not an important injury.
"Hopefully it isn't because the kid is a fantastic player and showing me match after match, and in training, that he's going to be a key man on the pitch."
The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, but is expected to feature in Mourinho's first-team plans at Stamford Bridge during the upcoming campaign.
Liam Power
