Avram Grant's preparations for the biggest match of his career have been interrupted by an horrific facial injury to Petr Cech that has brought a premature end to the Czech Republic goalkeeper's season.

Cech had plastic surgery that involved 50 stitches at the St John and St Elizabeth Hospital in North London on Sunday after having his face ripped apart during a freak collision in training with Tal Ben-Haim.

Cech was on course to return after five weeks out with an ankle injury in the Champions League quarter-final, second leg at home to Fenerbahçe this evening, but will miss the rest of the season and could be out for as long as six months. Ben-Haim, the Israel defender, got one of his studs caught in Cech's bottom lip. The wound required 30 stitches at its deepest point and 20 more to the rest of Cech's face.

The goalkeeper's absence will be keenly felt by Grant, who must rely on Carlo Cudicini for a match in which, already 2-1 down, the concession of an away goal could prove costly, as well as representing a huge setback to Cech. The 25-year-old has endured a torrid time with injuries, missing 22 matches this season with a series of groin, hip and ankle problems, though such niggles pale in comparison to the fractured skull he suffered in a Barclays Premier League match against Reading 18 months ago that has left him wearing a protective helmet in matches and training.

Chelsea suffered another setback last night, with Michael Essien limping out of training with a back injury that makes him a doubt. Paulo Ferreira is on standby to replace the Ghanaian at right back.

“I don't feel good about it and every player injured does not make me happy,” Grant said. “Cech was more than a bit unlucky this year already and he was great in training.”

The first-team coach must hope that such ill-fortune is not a sign of things to come before a match that neatly encapsulates the rollercoaster nature of life at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea remain in contention for a Premier League and Champions League double, but a disappointing performance this evening could deliver an unwanted hat-trick of shock cup exits. After defeats by Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup and Barnsley in the FA Cup, Grant would need to win the league to keep his job if Chelsea suffer elimination to Fenerbahçe, with Michael Ballack conceding that Chelsea would use the painful memories of those setbacks to spur them on.

“We went out of two competitions because we didn't play when it mattered,” the Germany midfield player said. “We went to a final and shouldn't have lost it. It was our fault, it wasn't that Tottenham played fantastic football. The same against Barnsley, it was our fault, and against Fenerbahçe it was our fault. When we play our best football we can win every competition, but we didn't do this in the FA Cup and the Carling Cup and we went out. It's our motivation for [the Fenerbahçe match].”

Grant has reminded his players in no uncertain terms that they let themselves down by failing to kill off the tie after taking a first-half lead in Istanbul. Didier Drogba has been the main target of Grant's ire, with the Israeli accusing the Ivory Coast striker of playing for himself rather than the team, though Drogba will be given a final chance to make amends.

“We have thought a lot about last Wednesday's game, but tomorrow it will be different,” Grant said. “We had a good performance with a bad result and there are things we can do better. We lost concentration, but sometimes this happens in football. It's not the first time it has happened to us this season and we must learn from our mistakes.

“We need to dominate the game[], which will not be easy and then hopefully take control from there.”

Fenerbahçe have travelled with hope allied to expectation, with Colin Kazim-Richards, the former Sheffield United forward, summing up their nothing-to-lose mentality. Roberto Carlos remains doubtful despite returning to training after a shin injury, though Gönül Gökhan will return from suspension.

“Zico [the Fenerbahçe coach] says to us that we've got to go out and score goals,” Kazim-Richards said. “It doesn't matter about the name that's on the back of the shirts, it's the way we play on the day.”