This international break is three weeks long, instead of the usual two, and that is likely a very good thing for Chelsea FC and other teams that are as injury-riddled as they are. Chelsea have so many fitness/injury/issues that we’re going to need two different articles to cover it. For Chelsea Injury Update Part 1, go here. We’ll cover Reece James, Joao Pedro and Emanuel Emegha in this edition. The Blues have gotten off to a very disappointing start, so far this season, as manager Xabi Alonso still has a ton of work to do, in terms of turning this thing around.
Reece James
The captain has an injured hamstring, yet again. However, it sounds like it won’t be out too long.
“He had a little tear, a little injury in his hamstring,” Alonso said on Friday. “He tried. We waited until this morning, but he couldn’t make it. So, now we have enough time to prepare for the next one. Yeah, he was just a few days short of recovering.”
Maybe he’ll feature versus AFC Bournemouth in mid-October.
Joao Pedro
The Brazilian has been out since he apparently picked up a knee injury shortly after halftime of the Hull City match. He also missed out on the blowout loss to Brentford on the weekend.
The striker has also withdrawn from the Brazil squad this FIFA window.
Emanuel Emegha
Like Marco Palestra, he’s another summer signing who has yet to debut. And just like with Palestra, the wait for his debut goes on. Not much is known about the specific details of his injury, as the club hasn’t been disclosing anything about it.
Squad Injury Updates: September/October International Break
Real Madrid Liverpool FC Chelsea Part 1 Chelsea Part 2 Manchester United Arsenal Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur Everton Aston Villa FC Barcelona Newcastle United Part 1 Newcastle United Part 2 Bayern Munich Borussia Dortmund Leeds United
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.