Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea holds off Mohamed Elyounoussi of Southampton. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Chelsea manager Graham Potter has clarified Cesar Azpilicueta’s status after the right-back was carried off in a 1-0 loss to Southampton on Saturday.
The right-back was hit by the ball on his face and collapsed to the ground which saw him need medical and the player was given oxygen by doctors as both clubs showed worry. Southampton surprised Chelsea by winning 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, which was troubling for Chelsea in far more aspects than one.
However, they are still at the bottom of the Premier League standings, the Saints managed to edge out the Blues and put Potter under more strain. In the second half, the home team had several opportunities to score, but James Ward-Prose’s kick ultimately proved to be the game-winner.
Sekou Mara, the Southampton youngster, unintentionally kicked Azpilicueta in the face, which led players around to ask for help almost immediately. The 33-year-old was eventually taken off on a stretcher while receiving oxygen after medical personnel raced onto the field and the game was stopped for just under 10 minutes.
And while speaking to the press (h/t Express.UK), Potter revealed the right-back situation after the Spaniard was rushed to hospital as he said:
“He’s in the hospital. He’s conscious and was speaking to his wife. We were obviously really concerned when it first happened. I think he was unconscious to begin with. It was worrying. A horrible incident.”
It was a disappointing night after losing 1-0 to Southampton, and it was made worse when the Spaniard suffered a terrible injury. He is a crucial member of the team, and we just hope he recovers quickly because we’ve already had a lot of injury problems.
It remains to be seen what the definitive judgement is from the medical professionals. The kick was to his face and it seems that the injury won’t be to his knee or ankle or any muscles in his leg, which would have been an additional blow. Then again, injuries to the head can be far more serious if the damage is great and hopefully, it isn’t a concussion.
Azpilicueta’s leadership aside, he genuinely adds a lot of depth in defence, as he covers the central and right-back area with relative ease. Let’s just pray we don’t have more injury issues by the time the former Marseille defender is back.
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