Chelsea without van Ginkel for 6 months

London, Sep 27 (IANS) Chelsea's new signing Marco van Ginkel will be sidelined for six months following a knee surgery.

The 20-year-old Dutch midfielder joined Chelsea from side Vitesse Arnhem in July and tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Tuesday's League Cup win over third-tier Swindon Town, reports Xinhua.

"Chelsea Football Club can confirm Marco van Ginkel successfully underwent anterior cruciate ligament surgery today. The 20-year-old midfielder is expected to be out for approximately six months," the club said in a statement Thursday.

Van Ginkel made his debut for Chelsea as a substitute against Hull City in the 2013-14 Premier League season opener and played his first Champions League match in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Swiss side Basel.

He made his senior debut with the Netherlands in the 0-0 friendly draw against Germany in Nov 2012 and has earned two international caps so far.