Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed on Friday that defender Ben Chilwell has suffered a ‘bad’ hamstring injury with no timescale yet on his return..…..CONTINUE READING>>>>>>
The 26-year-old has had a scan on the injury that forced him off late on against Brighton in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
Pochettino confirmed this while speaking to the media before Chelsea’s Premier League game against Fulham on Monday.
Ben Chilwell’s injury is ‘bad news’ and Pochettino said: “The doctor told me it is a bad injury but we need to assess in the next few days.”
He said it is “difficult” to know when Chilwell will return but the picture will become clearer in the next few days.
Chelsea are already without captain right Reece James until after the international break with a thigh problem and Chiwell has deputised in James’ absence.
“When they’re at their best, they are the best full-backs in the world,” said Pochettino.
“At all clubs, important players are missed when they don’t play.
“If the question is ‘do we miss them?’ Of course. Reece is a top player and [Chilwell] also.”
Chilwell missed three months last season with a hamstring problem, making just 23 Premier league appearances while James played just 16 times in the league because of knee, thigh and hamstring problems.
Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill and Axel Disasi are the contenders to play at full-back in Monday’s Premier League trip to Fulham, but Pochettino says no-one in his squad can fully replicate the quality his first-choice full-back pairing delivers anytime they are available.
He added: “All teams when they miss important players are affected [in their] performance.”l
“Why did we not sign another Ben Chilwell and another Reece James? Because there’s only one Reece James and one Ben Chilwell.
“If you have in the squad one top player in one position, it’s difficult to bring in another one in the same position to sit on the bench. It’s about balance.”
Pochettino doesn’t expect Reece James to be available in time for Monday’s game but is hopeful Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke could return.…..CONTINUE READING>>>>>>
