New Delhi: Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to the hamstring injury suffered against Manchester City on Saturday.


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Record signing Morata was forced off after 35 minutes of Blues' 1-0 home defeat to City.


The 24-year-old, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Real Madrid during the summer for GBP 70million, was withdrawn from Spain's World Cup Qualifiers against Albania on Friday and Israel on Monday because of the problem.


Spain's football federation later confirmed that an MRI scan had revealed the striker had sustained a grade II myofascial injury in the hamstring.


Initial fears suggest the prolific frontman could be out for the whole of October, being able to return to competitive first-team action in mid-November.


Belgium's Michy Batshuayi is now the only recognised attacker at the west London club.


Defending champions Chelsea face four crucial Premier League fixtures, away at Crystal Palace before hosting Watford and Manchester United, on November 5, with a league trip to Bournemouth in between following the international break


Morata, who has scored seven goals in his first 10 appearances for Chelsea, is also almost certainly set to miss this month's doubleheader against Italian Serie A side Roma in the Champions League.