Highlights
- Thiago Silva’s absence due to injury is hurting Chelsea’s defensive setup and leadership on the pitch.
- Nkunku’s repeated injuries have prevented him from making a significant impact at Stamford Bridge.
- Pochettino confirms Nkunku has suffered yet another injury.
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has missed their last two games due to injury, and the Blues have been dealt another blow with Christopher Nkunku on the treatment table.
Despite being 39 years old, Silva has been a key figure under Pochettino this season, with only Axel Disasi and Conor Gallagher starting more Premier League games than the Brazilian centre-back. Silva missed the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool at the weekend, and the Blues could have done with his experience at the back to help them achieve a positive result.
The west London outfit were defeated in extra time thanks to a Virgil van Dijk header, with the oldest player on the pitch making the biggest impact in the final few moments of the game. Chelsea face Leeds in the FA Cup on Wednesday followed by a short trip to Brentford on Saturday, and they could do with the leadership of Silva as they battle to ignite their season. Nkunku did manage to feature for the Blues, but he could now be watching from the sidelines once again.
Pochettino provides Christopher Nkunku injury update
Nkunku suffers mysterious injury
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup clash at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, Pochettino confirmed that Nkunku has suffered an injury, but he’s unsure when it happened…
“We heard yesterday that Nkunku was injured. We don’t know when he got injured. We need to see. At the moment, it’s three or four weeks maybe out. We hope no more.”
Nkunku has endured a difficult start to life at Chelsea with injuries severely hampering his progress, meaning he’s made little to no impact since arriving at Stamford Bridge. The French forward was expected to be the marquee signing this season that would help the Blues improve on their disappointing campaign, but it’s not worked out that way so far.
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Christopher Nkunku – Career Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats |
PSG |
RB Leipzig |
|
Appearances |
78 |
178 |
|
Goals |
11 |
70 |
|
Assists |
4 |
56 |
|
Yellow cards |
3 |
17 |
|
Red cards |
0 |
0 |
|
Correct as of 27/02/2024 |
||
Pochettino will be desperate to see Nkunku replicate the form he produced at Leipzig, which led to the Blues paying £52m to secure his signature. Injuries to Silva are to be expected considering his age, and Pochettino will be hoping the experienced defender can at least have some influence in the dressing room when he’s unavailable at times for the remainder of the season. On Chelsea’s official website, the club have confirmed that Silva is ‘in partial team training for reconditioning phase’.
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Pochettino could face sack if Leeds beat Chelsea
It’s a crucial game for the Blues
With Chelsea missing out on the Carabao Cup and facing an uphill battle to finish in a strong Premier League position, Pochettino could be under pressure to mount a serious charge to win the FA Cup. An in-form Leeds side currently stand in their way, and it could be a crucial game for Pochettino.
Journalist Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Pochettino could face the sack if Chelsea fail to beat Leeds and go on to win the FA Cup. Realistically, with finishing in Europe now a difficult task, lifting the FA Cup trophy could save Chelsea’s season.
Statistics courtesy of FBref
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