Getafe defenders zero in on Real Madrid’s Ronaldo during their Spanish league match on Saturday. (Reuters)

London: Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech had surgery for a ‘depressed skull fracture’ after being hit by Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt’s knee.

The English club said on Sunday that it was too early to assess the goalkeeper’s condition.

“Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Petr Cech was transferred from the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford Saturday night to the specialist neuro-surgical unit,” the team said on Sunday in a statement. “He underwent surgery for a depressed fracture of the skull.

“The operation was successful but it is too early to give an accurate assessment of his condition.”

Cech was hurt in the opening minute of Saturday’s English Premier League match against Reading, which Chelsea won 1-0.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said after the match that Cech was lucky to survive and called on the Football Association (FA) to take disciplinary action against Hunt.

“You see players avoiding the ’keeper by jumping or going with the foot for the ball, but when a player goes with the knee direct to the face he doesn’t want to avoid him,” Mourinho said. “After that he turned, came back and was laughing right in front of us. He was motivating his people but gave not one single sign that he was worried about the situation.”

Reading manager Steve Coppell defended his player.

“Jose will have his views but I don’t believe there was any intent in the challenge,” Coppell said. “There was a heavy collision, but there is no way Hunty went in to damage the ’keeper. Referee Mike Riley was 10 yards away and he didn’t book him. That tells me a lot.”

Cech’s replacement, Carlo Cudicini, also was taken to the hospital after he was injured in a collision with Reading defender Ibrahima Sonko while jumping to catch the ball in the 89th minute.

He was released on Saturday night.

Third-choice goalkeeper Hilario, who moved from Nacional in June and is yet to make his competitive debut for Chelsea, is almost certain to play Wednesday against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Mourinho said he was more concerned about the health of his goalkeepers than playing Barcelona.

“I don’t care about football. I care about my two friends,” Mourinho said. “Barcelona are Barcelona, football is football, and I don’t care about it. I care, but for me other things are more important.

Meanwhile, El Hadji Diouf scored two goals in three minutes on Sunday to help Bolton come from behind and beat Newcastle 2-1 in the English Premier League.

Shola Ameobi’s penalty gave the Magpies a 19th-minute lead at St. James’ Park, but the Senegal striker punished two lapses in the Newcastle defence with goals in the 55th and 57th minutes.

Meanwhile, Fabio Capello’s Real Madrid suffered a double blow on Saturday when they slumped to their first Primera Liga defeat of the season, 0-1 away to Getafe, and had striker Ronaldo sent off in the dying minutes.

Centre back Alexis gave Bernd Schuster’s side a thoroughly deserved victory over the nine-time European champions when he headed in from a corner 15 minutes into the second half.