Just now, Gordon Bennett said:

Excellent news, thanks for the update 👍

Maresca said 5 weeks

Too many stupid decisions in his game for me. Instead of doing his job too often he’d rather try to do a stupid turn or wait for contact and dramatically throw himself to the ground. Almost gifted them a goal by losing a 50/50 out wide to Watkins. David Luiz without the passing ability. 

18 hours ago, Ledgerson said:

 

It seems it is not bad as first feared.

He was walking fine after the game so if it was serious they wouldn’t have allowed it.

Hopefully not too serious then. Regardless, when a top quality CB is available I think we need to add to the squad. 

Still no news on his injury yet. 

Just now, Sconnie Blue said:

Still no news on his injury yet. 

Nor Reece really. They are keeping it hush hush, which, to me, suggests my thinking of March/April returns is more likely.

On 04/12/2024 at 17:23, Sconnie Blue said:

Still no news on his injury yet. 

LOOKS LIKE HE'S OUT FOR THE SEASON

https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/breaking-enzo-maresca-confirms-huge-30703032

What a cruel, sick joke. 
 

He’s finished at the top level. 

2 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

What a cruel, sick joke. 
 

He’s finished at the top level. 

We likely won't be able to move him on, but we need to replace him. Need a complete overhaul of our CBS.

Even when he was fit, he wans't really that good. Get rid to whoever will take him. Same for Disasi and Badiashielle.

3rd season on the trot he’s had a huge injury. But why have they said this now when they surely knew this ages ago ? 
messed up the rehab ? 

another season out for the count and not even that good when he is fit. The signing has been a massive waste of resources from the start. 

CB is priority in January, nothing else matters. The club won't do it but sign someone in their prime and not another experiment with potential resale value. 

We gave him a 7 year contract too didn't we? Only 4 more years of this then. 200k a week. 

Time to rethink the back line come next summer. Let's make sure we go back to UCL football, sign a new, fat shirt sponsor contract and move for some experienced center backs.

Not as many options as 10-15 years ago when there was a market full of top defenders, but still there are some that could add some much needed experience and steel. Jonathan Tah on a free would be a great choice for a start. I know he's been linked to Barcelona, but those bastards can't even register their own players anymore, nevermind new ones.

Sell Disasi, Badiashile and Chalobah, keep James, Fofana and Acheampong for the bench and have Colwill, Cucurella and two new, experienced, top center backs form a new back line. Unfortunately James and Fofana can't be trusted as starters anymore, a top team just can't have half of the entire back line that can only be trusted for three week-ends in a row tops.

Well, I believe he was a very good player when injury free. 

Doesn't matter now, seems like he is too injury prone for us now..

Todd insisted that he fly to America for his medical before signing for us.

Probably no one's fault really but it was a gamble for us considering his long injury before he joined us..

Shame for us, and for him too.

Got to hope Saudi do the hattrick and get all 3 of Badiashile, Disasi and Fofana. 

6 minutes ago, petre ispirescu said:

Time to rethink the back line come next summer. Let's make sure we go back to UCL football, sign a new, fat shirt sponsor contract and move for some experienced center backs.

Not as many options as 10-15 years ago when there was a market full of top defenders, but still there are some that could add some much needed experience and steel. Jonathan Tah on a free would be a great choice for a start. I know he's been linked to Barcelona, but those bastards can't even register their own players anymore, nevermind new ones.

Sell Disasi, Badiashile and Chalobah, keep James, Fofana and Acheampong for the bench and have Colwill, Cucurella and two new, experienced, top center backs form a new back line. Unfortunately James and Fofana can't be trusted as starters anymore, a top team just can't have half of the entire back line that can only be trusted for three week-ends in a row tops.

Dunno if keeping James and Fofana as back up defenders would work ? 

19 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Dunno if keeping James and Fofana as back up defenders would work ? 

What’s the odds of them being fit when needed? In my eyes they’re both an expensive waste of a squad place. And I fear Lavia is another one.

How on earth you offload broken players, I have no idea. What with Mudryk, we’ve got ourselves lumbered with some high value junk.

30 minutes ago, Snedger said:

What’s the odds of them being fit when needed? In my eyes they’re both an expensive waste of a squad place. And I fear Lavia is another one.

How on earth you offload broken players, I have no idea. What with Mudryk, we’ve got ourselves lumbered with some high value junk.

And on long contracts too. .We extended Mudryk's contract not long ago, dunno how that will pan out , we lose out even if we sack him considering the very large fee we paid

2 hours ago, Andy2461 said:

3rd season on the trot he’s had a huge injury. But why have they said this now when they surely knew this ages ago ? 
messed up the rehab ? 

Haven't they all been different injuries? ACL, hamstring and I'm not sure what. Horrible misfortune for him - his career is being wrecked, at the same time as Reece James's.

5 minutes ago, Backbiter said:

Haven't they all been different injuries? ACL, hamstring and I'm not sure what. Horrible misfortune for him - his career is being wrecked, at the same time as Reece James's.

Scourage through this thread you'll find several posts from me saying he's likely done at the top level. 

He suffered 2 career defining injuries simultaneously, ACL and Leg break. Add the fact he now has chronic hamstring issues, he's finished. 

This club is absolutely sh*t at handling these injuries. Potentially out for the rest of the season after picking up a hamstring injury in December? It's rare to see players injured for that long with a hamstring injury, and he hasn't even had any surgery either. 6 months? I find that ridiculous.

Saka picked up a hamstring injury for Arsenal, they get him surgery almost instantly and expect him back by March.

It feels like we make players more injury prone than they otherwise would be. We're sh*t at identifying issues and we're sh*t with rehab. Are we following the same techniques as Man Utd or something?

Edited January 3, 20251 yr by Scott Harris

Strange time to announce, would assume the timeline has been known for a while and this just weakens us in any negotiations for a CB this January?

Either way another appalling signing, not done anything on the pitch in the limited time he’s had that sets himself apart. 

The problem is that 3 of our key players are all massively injury prone (James, Lavia and Wes) which you just cannot have. It’s unmanageable for an elite club.  

Probably spending about a million a week in wages for players who we can't or don't want to play ...

Sterling, James, Chilwell, Fofana, Mudryk, Chukwuemeka ... 

That's the new shirt sponsor budget used up already LOL