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John Cena may not be able to compete in the WWE Royal Rumble 2019 on Sunday.

According to WWE, Cena "appears to have suffered an ankle injury" in last week's Fatal 4-Way bout with Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin. The company listed the 16-time world champion as "questionable" for the Rumble match.

Although the injury may have originated from that match, WWE reported on its official website Cena tweaked the problem Monday as he was training.

Of course, there's always the chance WWE is casting doubt on his availability for the Rumble with a storyline injury only to make his arrival feel more dramatic. The company's explanation, however, seemingly points to the issue being legitimate.

If this was the plan all along, WWE almost certainly would have had another wrestler attack Cena on Raw Monday night to kick off a long-term feud, rather than announce the injury online without any fanfare.

Given his reputation, Cena is always a threat to win the Royal Rumble match any time he takes part. According to OddsShark, he's +600 to be the last man standing this year, the fourth-best odds in the field.

Now, WWE might have to replace one of the top contenders in the 2019 Rumble with less than a week to go before the event.