Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the 2023/24 Premier League season on Sunday at the hands of London rivals West Ham United.
The Blues failed to make their first half dominance pay with Enzo Fernandez missing from the penalty spot. Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta scored after the break to give the Hammers all three points.
Mauricio Pochettino’s problems mounted with another injury picked up. Goalscorer Carney Chukwuemeka was forced off late in the first half with a suspected knee injury after a collision with ex-Chelsea defender Emerson.
Here, football.london has taken a look at the latest injury news at Stamford Bridge.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Chukwuemeka was forced off against West Ham having received treatment late in the first half. The ex-Aston Villa man seemed to pick up the injury as a result of a late challenge on Emerson.
He did manage to continue for a few minutes before being replaced by Mykhailo Mudryk. Concerns increased when Chukwuemeka was pictured leaving the London Stadium on crunches.
What Pochettino has said: “Carney, we need to assess him. We will see tomorrow.”
Expected return date: N/A.
Reece James
James was substituted in the second half against Liverpool last week, prompting injury fears as he held his right leg when taking a moment to pause before he came off for Malo Gusto. Pochettino later revealed it was just due to fatigue.
However, Chelsea revealed on Friday that James picked up a hamstring injury in training ahead of a clash against West Ham over the weekend. It could see him miss up to a month’s worth of action, coming as a huge blow to himself and the club after just one game in the season.
What Pochettino has said: “I think it’s a sad moment because he’s our captain. He was so excited to be a captain, full of energy. I think we are going to assess him day-by-day as well as possible. For sure, he is going to become stronger than he was, we are going to help him to become stronger than before.”
Expected return date: N/A.
Christopher Nkunku
Nkunku was taken off in the first half of the Blues’ final pre-season clash against Borussia Dortmund after a challenge from Mats Hummels. It has been confirmed that his injury is worse than initially feared, with the 25-year-old expected to face a few months on the sidelines.
What Pochettino has said: “We feel very sorry about him. He was doing well, he was very important player for us. I think the quality is there, one of the best offensive players that can play in different positions always is a big issue for us. Now it’s about not thinking too much about the injuries and being positive about when he can be again with us and recover as soon as possible in a good way.
“We are working in the market also, we are going to miss one player like this. The club is working, trying to find a solution, maybe short term, medium and long term to add the right profile for the team to perform for now.”
What Nkunku has said: “As you can imagine, I’m so disappointed not to be able to be with my team-mates during the start of the season. It’s hard not to have been able to meet you guys at the Bridge. I will work hard to come back stronger. It’s only a matter of time.”
Expected return date: January 2024
Benoit Badiashile
The defender is another that has missed Chelsea’s pre-season schedule due to the serious hamstring injury he sustained last season. Badiashile has posted pictures of himself training at Cobham and it has been reported that the club are targeting a return against Luton.
Expected return date: Luton (H) Friday, August 25
Armando Broja
Broja has not featured since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the winter friendly with Aston Villa, back in December. He is continue to work on his recovery at Cobham.
Expected return date: Unknown.
Wesley Fofana
Fofana is set for another significant spell on the sidelines after rupturing his ACL.
What Pochettino has said: “Really sad, really bad news. We feel so sad. We can only help him and to be again with the team we know it is tough. We need to help him and wish him all the best. We need to keep going, the competition is there. The competition doesn’t wait for anyone and we need to be ready.
“I hope yes. You have all of the information that this is difficult. He is evolving in a different way but hopefully his recovery goes very well.”
