Chelsea defender Alex has pulled out of the Brazil squad for the friendly internationals against Iran and Ukraine because of a thigh problem.
The 28-year-old former PSV Eindhoven star picked up the injury after scoring Chelsea's second goal in Sunday's 2-0 victory against Arsenal. It is estimated that he will be out of action for three weeks.
Meanwhile, Michael Essien believes Manchester City will be Chelsea's main title rivals this season.
Roberto Mancini's side followed up their 1-0 win against Chelsea with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday as they moved up to second in the Premier League table.
Ghana international Essien said:"There is still a long way to go. The season is very long and we have to keep playing like we did against Arsenal and keep getting points.
"We led for much of last season but last season is gone. We have a new season now and it will be decided at the end.
"Manchester City are our closest challengers right now. You can see they have made good signings and they will be up for it. We will see what happens. I don't know if they will have the stamina but they have the players to go out and do the job.
"Maybe we have an advantage because we know what it takes to win the League but every season is different. We have to keep going. The rest of the teams are there and will be fighting for it. It is up to us to get as many points as we can."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email