Chelsea are fearing the worst over an injury to one of their first-team stars as well as the issue with Marc Cucurella, according to a reliable reporter.
Cucurella injury update
During the Premier League 2-0 defeat to Everton, Cucurella was forced off the pitch with a serious lower leg issue, and following further assessments with knee and foot specialists, the defender is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
After undergoing surgery, Mauricio Pochettino’s star is still recovering in hospital and isn’t expected to return to the grass until February at the very earliest, and if the following is to be believed, he’s not the only one who the manager will have to cope without having at his disposal for the foreseeable future.
Fabrizio Romano shares injury news out of Chelsea on "spectacular" player
More bad news for Pochettino…
ByTom CunninghamDec 17, 2023
At Goodison Park, Reece James was also withdrawn prematurely and replaced by Levi Colwill after just 27 minutes, which will have sparked plenty of concern among supporters considering the misfortune that the right-back has suffered since the start of the season.
The Blues captain has made just five starts in the top-flight so far this campaign due to being ruled out of action with a hamstring problem (WhoScored – James statistics), and it sounds like the club’s medical staff are extremely concerned about the 24-year-old’s situation this time around.
James may need hamstring surgery
Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea are worried about James and confirmed that they have entered discussions to decide whether he needs to go under the knife.
“A final decision on whether or not the full-back will undergo surgery will be made within the next few days — that’s the plan internally. Make no mistake though, for sure Chelsea are worried.
"They want James to be in the best possible condition to perform at the highest levels — the player wants the same, but this is not the case at the moment. Chelsea are in talks with medical specialists about how to help and prevent this issue from becoming an even bigger problem. Everybody hopes James can come back even stronger.”
While James is naturally a right-back, Chelsea will know that he’s stronger in the offensive aspect of his game having posted 32 direct contributions – 21 assists and 11 goals – in 156 senior appearances during his time at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt -James statistics).
The England international also currently ranks in the 96th percentile for successful take-ons, highlighting his desire to use his pace to dribble past his marker and create as many chances as possible for both himself and his fellow teammates in the final third (FBRef – James statistics).
Having been dubbed “world-class” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Pochettino will therefore know that not having his skipper available for selection for a while is a huge blow, so everyone associated with the club will be hoping that he is able to stage his comeback as soon as is safe to do so.