It looks like Charlotte Flair's recent injury was worse than originally believed as a new report indicates "The Queen" suffered a neck injury in addition to her other injuries. Flair, who was injured on the 8 December edition of SmackDown during a match against Asuka recently underwent surgery. It was reported after the match that Flair suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus.

PWInsider is reporting that Flair also suffered a strained neck during the match. Thankfully, it appears the additional injury won't add any time to Flair's expected recovery date. It's currently being projected that it will take Charlotte roughly nine months to recover. She's expected back sometime in the fall.

Charlotte's Stalled Championship Goal

Charlotte's current setback will stop the WWE's apparent goal of having Charlotte tie or break her famous father's record of 16 world championships. The WWE recognizes both Ric Flair and Charlotte Flair as having 16 world championships each. Charlotte currently has 14 (six RAW Women's Championship runs, seven SmackDown Championship reigns, and one reign as Divas Champion). "The Queen" also has two NXT Women's Championships under her belt so the case could be made that she's already reached 16 world championships.

Who Will Step in to Fill Charlotte's Shoes?

With Flair's recovery a long way off, fans are curious who the WWE will have take her place in whatever plans the company had for her before her injury. The SmackDown roster has plenty of top talent, but some fans are hopeful that the WWE will elevate someone from the mid-card or upper-card into a main event slot. Names such as Alba Fyre, Isla Dawn, Michin, and Shotzi all come to mind. However, the WWE's failure to do so under both Vince McMahon and Triple H has some fans skeptical it will happen.

Will Andrade Work Alongside Charlotte?

Another question fans are asking is what role Charlotte will have if Andrade appears in the WWE. It's believed that it's only a matter of time before Andrade (who recently left AEW) shows up in the WWE. While Andrade was previously paired with Zelina Vega (a combination that worked well for Andrade), Andrade's real-life marriage to "The Queen" could be played up for storyline purposes. However, there are also plenty of WWE couples whose relationship is ignored on-screen.

Who do you think the WWE should book in Charlotte's place? Do you think the WWE will pair Andrade and Charlotte on-screen?