Chelsea suffer defensive blow

(06-10-2010) Chelsea suffered a setback on Tuesday with the news that star central defender Alex will be sidelined for three weeks. The Brazilian, who fired home a sensational long-range free-kick against Arsenal over the weekend, picked up a thigh strain in the closing stages of the 2-0 victory. The 28-year-old will miss his country’s matches against Iran on Thursday and Ukraine next Monday. He is also likely to be absent for Chelsea's visits to Aston Villa and Spartak Moscow on 16 and 19 October. Alex was signed by the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in 2007. He has been first-choice alongside captain John Terry in the heart of the Stamford Bridge team’s defence this season.