Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel suffers further injury misery during AC Milan loan

AC Milan midfielder Marco van Ginkel, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury in training.

The 22-year-old Dutch midfielder received the knock during a training session last week following a robust challenge from teammate Sulley Muntari.

The Rossoneri have since confirmed that Van Ginkel, who was ruled out with a separate ankle problem in September, has suffered capsular ligament damage, with reports suggesting the player is set to miss at least two months of action.

"I am really sorry for Van Ginkel," Milan CEO Adriano Galliani told the club's official website. "What a pity. After 30 years of watching training sessions, I know that he is a player with a great talent.

"We hope he will recover as soon as possible and that he is able to showcase his talent. He has extraordinary feet, he is a good person and intelligent. All my best wishes for him for a speedy recovery in order to give a helping hand in our team."

Van Ginkel's latest injury could prompt Chelsea to bring the player back to west London, an approach the Blues took with Victor Moses who returned to Stamford Bridge for treatment on a thigh problem in November.

The Dutchman joined Chelsea last season but his campaign was derailed after tearing his cruciate ligament in September 2013.

A loan move to Milan provided him with a fresh opportunity for first-team football but he suffered an initial ankle problem on his debut for the club against Empoli in September.

Despite recovering from that knock, Van Ginkel struggled for first-team opportunities and has since made just one further appearance for the Serie A side. His lack of game time prompted talk of an early return to Chelsea in October, although the midfielder dismissed suggestions he was unhappy in Milan, with his agent describing such claims as "senseless".

Van Ginkel made his first appearance in two months in a 2-0 win over Udinese at the end of November but did not managed to retain his place in Filippo Inzaghi's squad.