Lukaku's agent offers optimistic update on striker's ankle injury

The Blues’ emphatic victory on Wednesday night was tainted by the injury to their goalscorer in chief.

Romelu Lukaku could recover from his ankle injury earlier than expected, the player’s agent Federico Pastorello has informed.

Lukaku lasted barely for 20 minutes in Chelsea’s Champions League meeting with Malmo. He was sliced down in the box by Lasse Nielsen and required several minutes of treatment on the pitch before eventually hobbling off.

The striker has scored four goals this season so far and, considering he’s the team’s primary source of goals, will be a big miss for the Blues, who are aiming for silverware on the domestic as well as the European front.

“I was very worried because Romelu is a player who really wants to play and the fact he stayed lying on the pitch so long after the penalty, it doesn’t look good to me because he is someone who immediately stands up,” Lukaku’s agent told Sky Sports News.

“The fact he was down for four minutes, I was with Petr Cech and I told him while watching the game that it was something I was scared about because he isn’t one to make a fake scene.

“When he stood up I thought it is not a good sign and now we are waiting for the exams so we will know something more soon.

“But if you see the pictures and the video of the injury, the position of the ankle is really under the weight of the body but he is a strong boy and he wants so much to play every game so he will be back stronger soon I am sure.

“He was very sad actually yesterday as a first reaction but everybody was seeing he was playing a good game and I am 100 per cent sure he would have scored goals [had he stayed on].

“He was on fire but he is really concentrated and will be focused on his recovery as soon as possible.

“He has his physio at home so he is working hard every evening even before he goes to sleep so if there is a time to come back it will be earlier than planned.”