VERY SAD Christopher Nkunku News has been announced this morning by Pochettino in a press conference
Considering that Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino completely excluded Christopher Nkunku from the matchday roster on Saturday night, it’s possible that his unexpected hip injury is not as serious as initially believed.
After scoring on his Wolves debut and making his club debut against Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, the Blues star was left out of the 4-0 victory over Preston North End. Nkunku did not play in Chelsea’s opening 2024 matchup with the Lilywhites, but he did play the last half of the team’s 3-2 victory over Luton Town prior to the new year.
When asked why the French international had not been included in Pochettino’s starting lineup for the FA Cup third round match, the Argentine coach said that he had encountered an issue during practice. “I think you understand how hard it is to get him fit,” he remarked. The conditions are quite difficult right from the start of the season.
“With [Christopher] Nkunku, [Armando] Broja, and [Romeo] Lavia, it is true. It can be challenging at times to both translate for our supporters and to explain things to you. We don’t want to put any pressure on Nkunku when we discuss his case. We are aware that it is challenging after a protracted injury.
It’s never easy to have six months to go. He wasn’t involved right now since, following practice yesterday, he experienced a hip issue. We need to find out if he will be able to play in the upcoming games. That’s the issue. They require time, but in order to perform at their best, they must play as well. We are unable to give players that must participate in the tournament this game time since we must prevail.
“We have to win because we are in Chelsea. It can be very difficult at times to explain things to players who are under pressure to play and perform. They wish to support the group. Although it can be challenging at times to convey, anyone who knows football knows how hard it is.”
Given the club’s history of injuries this season, it made sense for Blues supporters to fear the worst. Nkunku’s hip trouble brings Chelsea’s total number of issues since Pochettino took over to 35. This number includes Nkunku’s own preseason knee injury, which held him out of the first half of the season.
Early this morning, reports suggested that the star might miss up to three weeks of action. However, journalist Fabrice Hawkins has refuted those claims, stating that Nkunku’s removal from the squad was merely a precaution and that he should be fine for the upcoming matches against Middlesbrough and Fulham.
Journalist Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato then verified that report, claiming that Nkunku would be included in the Blues’ midweek trip to Riverside Stadium and that Pochettino’s decision to bench him was a precautionary move to make sure the star’s hip discomfort did not worsen.
All things considered, the attacker for the Blues should be fit and ready to go when Chelsea visits Michael Carrick’s Boro on Tuesday, barring any unforeseen circumstances that prevent him from playing. Although it’s uncertain how much of an impact it would have, Pochettino has mentioned drip-feeding Nkunku minutes until he’s ready for more consistent minutes.
