Chelsea Injury News Update: Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea FC is grappling with a significant injury crisis as they gear up to face Aston Villa in the Premier League.
The team’s injury list has grown, leaving the manager with limited options for the crucial upcoming match.
One notable absentee is Moises Caicedo, who suffered an injury while on international duty with Ecuador. Mauricio Pochettino provided an update on Caicedo, saying, “Moi [Caicedo] we need to assess tomorrow, he was training in an individual way, not with the team until today”. Caicedo’s availability for the weekend remains uncertain.
Noni Madueke, another player who returned from international duty with a niggle, has been participating in group training sessions. Pochettino commented on his status, saying, “Noni was involved also during the week in training. Maybe we need one day more, maybe [Armando] Broja can be involved, maybe.”
Speaking of Armando Broja, the young striker has been out of action since December 2022 due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Pochettino isn’t putting undue pressure on him, stating, “Broja arrives and maybe will be involved at the weekend, but it’s after nine months of not competing. We cannot expect Broja will score with every single touch; he needs to feel the competition”.
In addition to Caicedo, Chelsea has several other stars who are yet to play this season. Christopher Nkunku is one of them, sidelined for at least four months after a preseason injury. Pochettino acknowledges the challenges posed by these injuries but also sees the benefits of having no midweek competitions, allowing more time for player recovery and training.
The injury crisis extends beyond the attack, with key players like Benoit Badiashile facing setbacks in their recovery. Badiashile was expected to return against Aston Villa but suffered a setback in his recovery process. Pochettino clarified, “Yeah [it is true there was a setback], but it was in a different muscle but it was minor, it was small. He was training with Reece James.”
Chelsea is also eagerly awaiting the return of Reece James and Carney Chukwuemeka, both of whom have been unavailable due to injuries since matchday two of the season. Romeo Lavia is expected to miss another four weeks due to an ankle injury sustained during international break training. Marcus Bettinelli and Wesley Fofana are also sidelined with no return in sight.
With the match against Aston Villa looming and mounting pressure on Pochettino, Chelsea fans are hopeful that their injured stars can make a swift return to bolster the squad.
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