Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has ruled striker Christopher Nkunku out of tomorrow’s League Cup semifinal tie against Middlesbrough. There had been hopes he would be available, but apparently his hip injury is worse than initially thought.
“No [chance of playing],” Pochettino said. “Always happens, no? With long-term injuries, to find the balance is the difficult thing. He suffered with his hip. It’s not a big issue.”
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While Pochettino said that this isn’t a big issue, it actually kind of sound likes it is. His timeline for return keeps getting delayed, so what is really going on here? Poch provided some more injury updates during his presser, and for the most part it was what we all expected. Romeo Lavia remains out while Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka are in.
But there was one major surprise, as Malo Gusto is now out. With Reece James already out injured, what does Pochettino do at right back? Is it Alfie Gilchrist time?
Malo Gusto is currently suffering from muscle overload, according to reports.
It might be time to start integrating Gilchrist into the team more —with the possibility of deploying him as a right-back if anything funny happens to Gusto. pic.twitter.com/S7a4ESPVxP
— Gidi (@CFC_Gidi) January 22, 2024
Beyond that, the Blues boss also discussed the club’s transfer activity, or lack thereof, this January. “No updates. Nothing to say,” Pochettino said.
“Armando Broja leaving? At the moment, no news. It’s quiet. It’s a good thing. We are working really well.”
Hmmmm…that doesn’t sound like Chelsea, especially so in the Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital era. Maybe the Argentine is playing coy?
Or are they seriously holding back on spending this time around. Doubt it, as something should happen between now and Jan. 31.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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.”
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