Chelsea injury updates as Mauricio Pochettino fights an uphill battle to keep his team healthy following new problems for Moises Caicedo and Malo Gusto.
Chelsea is back in Premier League action as they attempt to recover from their most recent defeat at home to Nottingham Forest. Mauricio Pochettino and his team will be hoping to start their year with two weeks to prepare for the game.
Despite a relatively easy schedule of games on paper, the Blues have only managed to pick up four points from their first four games, including two losses. There has been a significant caveat for the Argentine manager up to this point, though, since some members of his first team have missed significant portions of the season.
Christopher Nkunku is still on his way back, and it would be a success if he returned by Christmas, much less the end of September. Wesley Fofana may not rejoin the club until well into 2024, but he is long-term in the same situation. Most games would begin with both players in the mix, which has given Pochettino room to play around.
After a minor concern for Mykhailo Mudryk over the international break, Ben Chilwell, who has been playing as a left winger, may stay in that position. When he left the field against England late in the 1-1 draw in Poland, it appeared that he had injured his calf during the fortnight-long trip with Ukraine.
Following the Under-21 European Championships earlier this summer, the 22-year-old, who has been struggling with his conditioning, returned to training. Four days later, against Italy. A hint that he might be prepared for action, but Pochettino hasn’t given him a chance right away this season.
Since matchday two and Carney Chukwuemeka’s absence, his role—or lack thereof—in the team has been under increased scrutiny. The teenager was forced to leave the game against West Ham due to a knee injury, opening up an attacking position for Pochettino, although he hasn’t been sufficiently replaced yet.
Although it was once anticipated that he would be close to making a comeback at this stage, there is now concern that there may be an additional three weeks of waiting before he feels fit. For Armando Broja, the same is true. In order to complete his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that prevented him from playing in the second half of the 2022–23 season, the Albanian stayed at Cobham over the break.
Amando Duka, the president of the Albanian FA, provided an update on his physical condition. “Armando Broja has completed the recovery phase,” he declared. “We anticipate him to be on the Chelsea bench this week, that is, prepared to enter the field.”
When questioned about those remarks, Pochettino didn’t mince words. Simply put, he asked, “Who is the Albanian FA? The trainer? The leader? I was silent. When questioned if Broja is prepared to return, he responded, “Not yet. No, not yet.
He intends to make a comeback in the upcoming weeks, but according to The Athletic, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him start out with the development squad to regain his fitness. Benoit Badiashile, who has been out since the conclusion of the previous season, has been rehabbing alongside him, although the two were not among the team members photographed getting ready for the game in Surrey.
Although it’s unlikely that Badiashile would be put back into the game right away, he is about to regain his much-desired spot in Stamford Bridge’s lineup. There had been anticipation of his inclusion in the matchday squad, but Pochettino clarified he was also unavailable. Still not. The similar issue exists in Badiashile, he claimed.
Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are still on the road, so his return is much-needed. James hasn’t played since the season’s opening match, but he’s another player who’s looking forward to returning to the action in the upcoming weeks.
“He’s doing well, recovering,” a new Pochettino. “He is beginning to do actions with the ball on the field. He is quite healthy. He wants to get back and assist the group badly. I’m hoping he’ll get there soon and be able to play before the next international break.
Chalobah, who came dangerously near to leaving in the final week of the transfer window, hasn’t played yet and had various injuries delay his preseason. The 24-year-old’s return date hasn’t been set yet, and it’s unclear exactly what position he’ll play in the team when he does.
“Of course [he’s still in his plans],” she said. The season will be affected by Chalobah’s future since I am Chelsea and I am the coach. We have plans for him. After his unsuccessful transfer to Bayern Munich and rumors that he will be dropped from the starting lineup before January, Pochettino said, “No one is going to make that decision for me.
Romeo Lavia is also holding off on debuting after signing last month. He sustained a serious ankle injury while training and could be out for six weeks.
Prior to the game, Pochettino was questioned about the Belgian and responded, “I think we are really disappointed because he was training really well.” We’re waiting for the doctor’s evaluation on Monday after he twisted his ankle.
Additionally, the Argentine said, “We don’t know [a timeframe] because we need to assess him.” Lavia was being cautiously prepared because, prior to his move, he had not contributed much to Southampton’s preseason activities.
The fact that Moises Caicedo was seen wearing knee braces while traveling with Ecuador added insult to injury for Chelsea and Pochettino. This is the first time that the midfielder has had it, although it didn’t seem to bother him much when he played against Uruguay.
“Moises is a bit later than Enzo, so we will need to assess him, but we hope so [he’s ready],” the head coach stated. The blue support was still on the most expensive player in the Premier League during the game, but it didn’t prevent him from participating. It is hoped that whatever the cause, it is merely preventative and won’t prevent him from playing on Sunday.
As for Fernandez, he scored for Argentina in their second game, but he had a lengthy journey back to the club and was competing at a height of almost 12,000 feet. “We saw them today, and he seems happy.
“He scored against Bolivia, I think he will be ready,” Cobham said as an update. Malo Gusto, a French defender, had Caicedo’s problem; he was observed traveling with the Under-21 national team with a strapped right thigh.
Since then, he has been working out without the thigh strapping in England. Overall, Pochettino still has a ton of alternatives, but his squad is severely lacking in first-team players across the board, and Bournemouth is probably coming at least a few weeks too soon for most.
