Courtois: I’ll return in December

Chelsea number one goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois says he will return with a bang in December after injury ruled him out of the Blues campaign

Courtois suffered a knee injury prior to the Sept. 12 Premier League clash with Everton and will miss several months of the season after undergoing successful surgery.

"I will be out until the beginning of December," said the Belgium international, “ it is not the most pleasant thing to happen but I’ll bid my time.”

It's the clearest indication yet of when Chelsea can expect to see their No. 1 back between the sticks.

Courtois has established himself as one of the world's best stoppers, impressing on loan with Atletico Madrid before returning to the English capital in 2014. So good was his form last season, that longtime No. 1 Petr Cech was allowed to leave for Arsenal.

Asmir Begovic moved to the Blues to give Courtois a capable back-up, and he is more than capable of holding down the fort until his colleague returns. However, the Premier League champions' defence is currently in disarray, and boss Jose Mourinho will want his top shot-stopper back as soon as possible, if only to return an air of calm to the back four.