Christian Pulisic will miss out on Chelsea’s trip to Southampton tomorrow with a calf issue that has been officially described as not an injury. It’s more like a pre-injury, or “problem” that could develop into an injury. Confused? Yes, so are we.
At the end of the day you’re either match fit and available for selection, or you’re not, and Pulisic is definitely not. The latest updates from manager Thomas Tuchel do however explain the recent absence of Pulisic from the lineup; as well as his drastic drop-off in form and production.
On Pulisic's injury, Tuchel says he is not worried about it and there are just some little issues in the calf. He stopped training yesterday before it became an injury. It is more a case of risk management. #SOUCHE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 19, 2021
Chelsea at Southampton FYIs
Kickoff: Sat Feb 20, 12:30 GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium
Team news for both sides: go here
Odds: Southampton win +375, Chelsea win -139, Draw is +270
PL Form Guide: Southampton LLLLL Chelsea WWWWD
PL Position: Southampton 13th, 29 points Chelsea 4th, 42 points
Chelsea starting XI prediction: go here
Here’s more from Thomas Tuchel, including the full quote below:
Tuchel starts with an injury update, and it's good news on Tammy Abraham who is due to train today. Thiago Silva will be out for Southampton, and it is likely Christian Pulisic, who has some issues with his calf, will be too. Kai Havertz is fit again and available.#SOUCHE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 19, 2021
“We are not concerned or worried but the medical department is on that. Now we have some little issues in the calf and he stopped training yesterday before it became an injury so I would not say that it is an injury at the moment. It’s risk management that relates to his history of having injuries so we do not want to enter in the same cycle.
“It’s sometimes like this and the main thing for Christian is to stay positive, keep his head up and be ready because he can have a big impact when he starts and he can have a big impact when he comes from the bench with his intensity.
“Chelsea bought Christian for a reason, for his quality and his potential so it’s our job to bring out the best in him. He proved in many weeks that he has the level to be a Chelsea regular player, to have a big impact at this club and it’s a challenge now to maintain the level and to keep improving.”
Whether you’re a Chelsea fan or not, an American or not, you got to feel for Pulisic at this point. All the potential in the world, as evidenced by his purple patch during Project Restart, but he just can’t stay healthy this season. It’s no wonder he hasn’t been scoring goals and/or registering assists much this term- he’s simply not himself/the best he can be right now.
Over the course of 2020/21, Pulisic has had injury issues with his adductor, hamstrings and now his calf. For his sake, hopefully, the injury problems will someday subside.
Also, as you can see above, Kai Havertz and Tammy Abraham are available for selection tomorrow, but Thiago Silva remains out injured.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.