Chelsea FC saw injury added to insult this past weekend, when they lost their top striker, Joao Pedro, for an indefinite amount of time. Pedro suffered an undisclosed injury, thought to be connected to his knee problems, in training ahead of the 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
As manager Xabi Alonso said on Friday: “He felt something [in training yesterday]. At the moment he has some liquids, so we need to do some tests to know how big is the injury. And we, for sure it’s disappointment, but we need to carry him.”
EFL Cup 4th Round
Kickoff: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 8pm
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, UK
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Chelsea: Leeds 6-3, Luton Town 2-0 Liverpool- Spurs 3-1
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In other words, the build-up of fluid was so strong that it was impossible to get an accurate scan of the injury. Those scans will be done at some point, and when they are, perhaps Alonso wil share more details on what they showed, and what the situation is moving forward.
And then another loss in player availability occurred when Cole Palmer picked up two yellows in the loss to Spurs, and with it a red card, and thus, a one-match ban.
He’ll serve the suspension here against Liverpool, and then be available to take on Manchester United next week. Elsewhere Pep Chavarria and Emmanuel Emegha are both nearing full fitness levels, but most likely, they will not be risked in this match.
It is more likely they will return next weekend against United, who are obviously, the biggest mess right now. And then finally, Reece James, Emi Martinez and Jamie Gittens remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees.
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.