Chelsea [ Images ] centre back John Terry [ Images ] will be out of action for up to six weeks after a scan showed he had broken three bones in his right foot, the club said on Monday.

The Chelsea and England [ Images ] captain sustained the injury after being caught by Emmanuel Eboue [ Images ] in the first half of Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Arsenal [ Images ].

"Terry has fractured three bones, including his third metatarsal," a club statement said. "He will start his rehabilitation immediately."

The defender has only recently recovered from a knee injury that kept him out for seven games and also forced him to miss the end of England's unsuccessful Euro 2008 [ Images ] qualifying campaign.

Terry also sustained a broken cheekbone against west London [ Images ] rivals Fulham [ Images ] in September.

Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou [ Images ] said Eboue, his Ivory Coast compatriot, had apologised to Terry for Sunday's challenge.

Terry is the latest England international to suffer a metatarsal injury after Wayne Rooney [ Images ] (twice), Michael Owen [ Images ], Steven Gerrard [ Images ], Gary Neville [ Images ], Ashley Cole [ Images ], Emile Heskey and Ledley King.

Chelsea are already without talismanic striker Didier Drogba [ Images ] following knee surgery and will miss him for several more weeks in the New Year when he represents Ivory Coast at the African Nations Cup.

Sunday's defeat left third-placed Chelsea five points behind Manchester United [ Images ] and six behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

Chelsea's next game is Wednesday's League Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool.