Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen is open to joining Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino revealed that defender Ben Chilwell may have suffered a hamstring injury during their 1-0 League Cup win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
In the post-match conference covered by football.london, Pochettino expressed confused concerns over Chilwell’s injury in the match.
“We need to assess tomorrow but think it was hamstring.”
Chilwell was in Chelsea’s starting lineup in the match and was set to play the entire match until he suffered an alarming injury that forced him to limp off in the final minutes of stoppage time.
The suspected injury compounds a frustrating period for both the English international and the Blues. Ben Chilwell just got added to Chelsea’s growing list of injuries that includes the team captain Reece James, forward Noni Maudeke, and Christopher Nkunku among others.
Despite being Chelsea’s acting captain in James’ absence, Chilwell has seen his natural position change under Pochettino. The natural left-back was featured as a left midfielder in the opening games but was later dropped for our last two Premier League matches for Levi Colwill to play there.
With captain James already sidelined, an extended Chilwell absence would leave Chelsea severely shorthanded at both fullback spots. It would likely force continued makeshift solutions like using the 20-year-old Colwill on the left.
Since joining Chelsea from Leicester three years ago, Chilwell has battled recurring injuries. The English international had missed a total of 65 matches for both club and country in the last 2 seasons due to injuries.
Chelsea will certainly hope his suspected hamstring strain does not result in another damaging layoff.
Losing a player of Chilwell’s quality long-term would represent a major blow for Chelsea. The 26-year-old provides vital experience and versatility down the left flank.
Pochettino’s tactical experiments with the young Chelsea team have not yielded any positive results so far. His decision to bench Chilwell in Chelsea’s last 2 matches may draw added criticism if the Blues’ vice-captain faces another spell on the sidelines.
For now, Chelsea face an anxious wait to determine the extent of Chilwell’s injury. Club medical staff will assess him further before determining a timeline for his recovery.
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