Chelsea striker Torres ruled out for three weeks

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres will be out for three weeks after suffering a knee injury in the 4-0 Champions League Group E victory over Steaua Bucharest in Romania, the club said on Wednesday.

The Spanish international sustained medial collateral ligament damage to his left knee in Tuesday's game, the Londoners added on their website (www.chelseafc.com).

The injury comes as a blow to Torres who has recently begun to show glimpses of the form that persuaded Chelsea to pay £50 million for him in January 2011.

Manager Jose Mourinho will, however, be relieved that the former Liverpool forward is not out for longer, having already lost midfielder Marco van Ginkel for six months because of a knee problem.

The injury will keep Torres out of Spain's World Cup qualifiers against Belarus on October 11 and Georgia four days later.

Image: Fernando Torres

Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images