Chelsea star Armando Broja screams in pain and is stretchered off after agonising knee injury in Aston Villa friendly

ARMANDO BROJA was stretchered off after an agonising knee injury that left him screaming in pain.

The striker started from the off in a Dubai friendly against Aston Villa, ahead of the return of the Premier League.

But he was carried off after 25 minutes following a collision with Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa.

Broja was chasing down Konsa in the box and attempted to nick the ball from the defender.

But his momentum took him to the floor which led to an awkward fall.

The Albanian forward was heard screaming in pain as he clutched his knee.

Broja had to be stretchered off and was replaced by Dion Joseph Rankine while Chelsea trailed 1-0 thanks to John McGinn's opener.

Chelsea return to league action on December 27 at home to Bournemouth.

And they prepare to welcome their whole squad back in just over a week's time when the winter World Cup wraps up.

The likes of Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher are set to reunite with the squad after England's quarter-final loss to France.

Croatia's Mateo Kovacic and Morocco's Hakim Ziyech still remain in the tournament ahead of their pair of separate semi-finals.

Ziyech helped stun Portugal as Morocco became the first African side to reach the last four.

France, 2-1 victors over England, await them with Kovacic's Croatia facing Lionel Messi's Argentina.