The only thing that can match Chelsea’s expenditure on fresh talent is the number of players they’ve currently got on the injury list.
Sure, the Blues have spent an obscene amount of cash since Todd Boehly took the reins, but there’s no doubting that they’ve been hard done by injuries, too. Although, it’s hard to feel sympathetic for Chelsea supporters given their club’s fetish for erroneous squad building.
Nevertheless, it looks as if Mauricio Pochettino was dealt another blow – beyond the result itself- on Sunday as West Ham bullied the west London club into a 3-1 defeat. Carney Chukwuemeka, Chelsea’s goalscorer at the London Stadium, succumbed to a knee injury before half-time and was subsequently withdrawn.
The attacking midfielder is set for a period on the sidelines, with the Blues already missing an array of first-team stars such as Christopher Nkunku, Reece James and Wesley Fofana.
The Englishman’s return from his knee injury will not be known until the severity of his issue is discovered. Mauricio Pochettino said after his side’s defeat at West Ham that Chukwuemeka will be assessed on Monday.
“We need to assess him tomorrow,” said the Chelsea boss. “There will be an assessment tomorrow with the doctor. We hope it’s not a big issue, but we need to wait.”
It appeared as if Chukwuemeka initially injured his left knee following a challenge from former Chelsea man Emerson Palmieri early in the contest. He then went down just before half-time with an injury that wasn’t triggered by any contact. He was treated for a lengthy period before being helped off the London Stadium turf by Chelsea’s medical team.
Mykhailo Mudryk replaced the Englishman but failed to have an impact in the second half, and Chukwuemeka was pictured leaving the ground on crutches after the game.
While the teenager may not have sustained an ACL injury like so many have at the start of the new season, some have speculated that he may have suffered MCL or meniscus damage which would require a lengthy recovery period. A more positive diagnosis would be a bone bruise as a result of Emerson’s early challenge.
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