Chelsea centre back John Terry will be out of action for up to six weeks after a scan showed he had broken three bones in his right foot, the club said on Monday.
The Chelsea and England captain sustained the injury after being caught by Emmanuel Eboue in the first half of Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.
"Terry has fractured three bones, including his third metatarsal," a club statement said. "He will start his rehabilitation immediately."
The defender has only recently recovered from a knee injury that kept him out for seven games and also forced him to miss the end of England's unsuccessful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.
Terry also sustained a broken cheekbone against west London rivals Fulham in September.
Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou said Eboue, his Ivory Coast compatriot, had apologised to Terry for Sunday's challenge.
Terry is the latest England international to suffer a metatarsal injury after Wayne Rooney (twice), Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville, Ashley Cole, Emile Heskey and Ledley King.
Chelsea are already without talismanic striker Didier Drogba following knee surgery and will miss him for several more weeks in the New Year when he represents Ivory Coast at the African Nations Cup.
Sunday's defeat left third-placed Chelsea five points behind Manchester United and six behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
Chelsea's next game is Wednesday's League Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool.
