Chelsea full-back Ben Chilwell has suffered another injury set-back, this time to his knee, and will seek medical consultation as a result.
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Chilwell picked up knee injury against BrentfordNeeds specialist intervention to diagnose issueSet to be sidelined for Newcastle clashGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The 27-year-old sustained a knee injury during Chelsea's recent 2-2 draw with Brentford which has prevented him from participating in training sessions since then. Chilwell's season has been marred by fitness issues as a severe hamstring injury in September sidelined him for three months. Consequently, he has only managed to start in 13 games this season. And this latest setback casts doubts on his inclusion in the England squad for the upcoming fixtures.
AdvertisementWHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino revealed: "We need to wait until he sees a specialist. I hope it is not a big issue. At this moment, after eight, nine months at the club, I prefer to be cautious and wait."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Adding to Chelsea's woes, England defender Levi Colwill has joined the injury list after suffering a toe injury during the same match against Brentford. Furthermore, midfielder Conor Gallagher's availability for Chelsea's upcoming game against Newcastle on Monday is uncertain due to a virus that has sidelined him this week.
“We will see if tomorrow or Saturday he (Gallagher) has the possibility to train, but the problem always with this situation is you lose weight and energy," informed Pochettino.
“You need time to recover and see if it can be possible to be available and at which level he can be available — to maybe play (from the start) or just a few minutes. We need to assess him over the next few days.”
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Chelsea's injury list continues to grow, with Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku, and Lesley Ugochukwu currently sidelined. However, there is a glimmer of hope as Carney Chukwuemeka is set to return to team training before the crucial Premier League encounter against Newcastle United on Monday evening.