Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan needs surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Buchanan, 29, last played for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League (WSL) victory against Liverpool on 10 November.

Speaking after Chelsea The statement that defeated their championship rivals Manchester City On Saturday, manager Sonia Bompastor said: “I have some sad news to share with you. We found out the results this morning but he tore his ACL after the Liverpool game.

“I’m really sorry and I didn’t want to talk about it before the game because it might have focused all the attention on it. Everyone at the club is so devastated. He was doing really well.”

“We will support him as much as we can. He is strong and doing well. He will have surgery and we will have to move on.”

The Canadian defender joins teammates Mia Fishel, Sophie Ingle and Sam Kerr who are dealing with anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

• Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page