Chelsea transfer target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has suffered a minor jaw fracture after trying to defend his family during a robbery at his Barcelona home.
The 33-year-old was said to have been struck in the face with an iron bar, with his wife and kids present during a terrifying ordeal that took place in the early hours of Monday morning.
Aubameyang is expected to be sidelined for around three weeks in the best-case scenario, with a return to light training scheduled for next week.
Chelsea face the deal being further complicated having initially been confident after personal terms were agreed over a three-year contract.
However, they have yet to agree on a fee with Barcelona after seeing a recent offer worth £14million plus the inclusion of Marcos Alonso rejected.
Alonso remains keen on joining the Catalan giants after agreeing a lucrative two-year contract in April. With Alonso valued at £12m by Chelsea, the negotiations have been slow but positive as the two sides leverage savings in the final fee.
Barcelona want around £21m for Aubameyang, who was once Arsenal captain and remains keen on a return to London in the next 48 hours.
Everton manager Frank Lampard and Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira have both now issued hands-off warnings over star players Anthony Gordon and Wilfried Zaha, who are both targets for Chelsea.
