Spending big in the summer, Chelsea may have been hoping to make their return to the Premier League's top four this season, having also welcomed Mauricio Pochettino prior to pre-season. Yet, as we approach the halfway mark, the Blues sit 12 points adrift of the Champions League places with defeats against Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Everton to their name. It has been a disappointing first few months for Pochettino, who has reportedly been dealt yet another blow.
After losing Reece James to yet another injury, the last thing Chelsea needed was more bad news. But following defeat against Everton, it looks as though the Blues were handed another injury blow.
Chelsea injury news
As poor as Chelsea have been this season, they have been unfortunate with injuries at times. As things stand, Chelsea's injury list currently sits at nine players, with Marc Cucurella the latest to be added to that list. The left-back suffered the injury in the defeat against Everton and will now miss an extended spell of action at a vital point of the campaign.
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano's daily briefing for Caught Offside on Sunday, Cucurella is set to be out injured until February. Adding to Chelsea's woes, their injury list makes for frustrating reading.
Player
Potential Return Date
Wesley Fofana
03/06/2024
Reece James
31/01/2024
Robert Sanchez
31/01/2024
Ben Chillwell
06/01/2024
Romeo Lavia
30/12/2023
Chuwunonso Madeuke
27/12/2023
Trevoh Chalobah
No return date
Lesley Ugochukwu
No return date
Carney Chukwuemeka
No return date
Marc Cucurella
February
With that said, Chelsea's struggles, in part, are understandable even if they should still be in a position to avoid defeat against those competing in the bottom half of the Premier League. Pochettino may just hope that when he has a full squad available, the Blues are finally firing on all cylinders again.
"Spectacular" Cucurella needed more than ever at Chelsea
Cucurella has had his critics at Chelsea, but with Chillwell out injured and Lewis Hall now at Newcastle United, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man had the perfect opportunity to step up and make the left-back spot his own under Pochettino. Injury struck, however, and now the Blues must look elsewhere for a solution down the left-hand side. The Spaniard will miss the busy festive period, as well as crucial games in January and February in what could be a costly spell in Chelsea's pursuit of restoring some dignity to what has so far been a disastrous campaign under Pochettino.
At his best, Cucurella has been praised during his time at Chelsea, including by former Barcelona B teammate and current Real Oviedo man Rodrigo Tarín, who said:
"What he’s done is practically impossible. To go from an academy like Barcelona’s to clubs that are totally different, polar opposites, in consecutive summers and adapt is spectacular. You never know how good a player is until he’s competing, and every time Cucu’s stepped up he has carried on at exactly the same level, with the same personality. Which is why it wouldn’t surprise if he plays well at Chelsea.”