Mauricio Pochettino’s latest update on Christopher Nkunku spells more horror for Chelsea
Chelsea’s 2023-24 season has taken yet another hit on Tuesday (Feb 27) ahead of the club’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Championship high-flyers Leeds United. Much to the disappointment of the fans, Mauricio Pochettino on Tuesday revealed the latest casualty in the squad as Christopher Nkunku is “undergoing medical assessment” ahead of the clash. The forward has already missed the first half of the season and is likely to miss another three-four weeks according to the Argentine manager.
Chelsea suffer Nkunku injury blow
“We heard yesterday that Nkunku was injured. We don’t know when he got injured,” Pochettino said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
He added: “We need to see. At the moment, it’s three or four weeks maybe out. We hope no more.”
The news comes days after the extra-time defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final after Virgil van Dijk scored a 118th-minute winner. According to reports, Nkunku has taken a knock in Sunday’s final where he played for little over an hour before being substituted. He has been struggling with injuries ever since moving to West London from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023.
“Yes, it is difficult for him. We were watching and he was flying in pre-season until he got the knee injury and now it’s nearly eight months and even when he was ready to be involved again, he was never the same player as before,” Pochettino said.
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The Frenchman has scored twice in the Premier League in seven matches and only started gaining momentum on the field after a lengthy knee issue. His absence will be a major hit for the Blues as they look to book a quarterfinal berth in the FA Cup. The Blues were enjoying a good revival in recent weeks, having beaten Middlesbrough 6-1 in the Carabao Cup while also getting the better of Aston Villa in the last round of the FA Cup.
Chelsea’s injury issue
Speaking of Chelsea’s alarming injury list, the Blues have nine players on the sidelines with Marc Cucurella and Thiago Silva being the only ones with a remote chance of featuring against Leeds. The Blues will have an important few weeks to come to set their agenda, as FA Cup glory could be the only option to clinch a European place next season.
As things stand, the Blues are 11th in the Premier League standings with 35 points and are 12 behind Spurs who are occupying the fifth spot. The Blues will need at least a seventh place finish from the league to guarantee any type of European football.
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