Chelsea have suffered an injury blow, as Marc Cucurella is reportedly out for around a month. The left-back has picked up a hamstring injury and will miss the next few matches.
According to a report in AS and BBC, Cucurella has started his rehab program after sitting out the FA Cup win over Hull City. He was taken off at half-time in the draw to Leeds United and manager Liam Rosenior revealed that it was due to a hamstring issue and said (via Standard):
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“Unfortunately at half-time he felt his hamstring. It wasn’t a tactical change — it was one that was enforced. Cucu is one who has been top, and hopefully he will be okay. We will scan him and make sure we find out if he is available for the next game.”
Rosenior provided an update after the Hull City win, confirming that the defender was set for a short spell on the sidelines. He is unsure about the timeline and said:
“At the moment he’s not fit. There is an issue with his hamstring. I don’t know. I can’t give you a time frame on that at the moment.”
AS and BBC have reported that the Spaniard will be out for 3-4 weeks, keeping him out of action until after the international break in March. He will now miss the key matches against Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United, starting with the Burnley clash this week.
Liam Rosenior provides update on Chelsea squad
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior confirmed that Cole Palmer’s minutes are being managed, and he was left out of the Hull City win to help him recover, not due to an injury. He admitted that minutes of Reece James, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are also being managed and said:
“Managing. Managing him [Cole Palmer]. Brilliant to see Reece [James] back on the pitch. Brilliant for him to get those 60 minutes. I was planning on giving Enzo [Fernandez] 45 minutes with Moi [Caicedo]. I’m trying to manage their minutes. In the end, I felt it was right for Moi to stay on for 60. I’m delighted they’ve all come through unscathed and now, for the first time in a long time, they’ve got a full week to prepare for Burnley.”
Chelsea are still active in three competitions this season, fighting for the top four in the Premier League. They are also in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 and sealed their place in the FA Cup fifth round last week.
Edited by Sripad
