Cucurella, Fofana and Sanchez: Latest Chelsea injury news and expected return dates ahead of Fulham
Chelsea injury news ahead of the Blues’ west London derby at Fulham on Wednesday
Chelsea will head into Wednesday’s west London derby at Craven Cottage with a new manager in the hot seat, as Liam Rosenior was officially announced as the successor to Enzo Maresca on Tuesday morning.
Former Strasbourg boss Rosenior was managing Hull City in the Championship just 18 months ago but now has one of the biggest jobs in football – and one of the most brutal – which he will hope not to find out the hard way.
Interim head coach Calum McFarlane led the Blues to a 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Sunday, securing a massive result for his side through a stoppage-time Enzo Fernandez equaliser, while also handing a massive title boost to Arsenal in the process.
New boss Rosenior will have to contend with a series of injury issues in his squad ahead of his important first match in charge, with multiple players hoping to return to action ahead of midweek.
Will Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez be back to face Fulham?
Marc Cucurella has become one of the most reliable players in the Chelsea squad over recent seasons, and his presence has been missed during a two-match absence with a hamstring complaint which saw him forced off in the second half against Aston Villa.
The 27-year-old returned to training on Friday and was in contention to feature against City but ultimately missed out. He will aim to return to action against Fulham.
McFarlane said in his pre-match press conference ahead of the draw at the Etihad: “Yeah, that is positive [that Cucurella trained on Friday]. We're undecided on [whether he can play], so I don't really have the full information on that as of yet. I'm sure it will come out in the next couple of days.”
Alongside Cucurella, Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was absent against the Cityzens due to a minor muscle injury. Deputy shot-stopper Filip Jorgensen stepped in and put in a commendable display, but Rosenior will hope to have Sanchez back to choose from on Wednesday.
The exact nature of his injury has not been specified, but McFarlane revealed of his absence at the weekend: "Rob [Sanchez] felt his injury in the warm-up against Bournemouth, he played through it and trained on Friday, and then yesterday felt like he wasn't right.”
Both Cucurella and Sanchez will aim to be back in contention to start on Wednesday, with both Spaniards offering a significant boost to Rosenior in his first match in charge.
Wesley Fofana illness update and other Chelsea absentees
Wesley Fofana has had a stop-start season due to recurring injury and fitness issues and that continued on Sunday, as the Frenchman was not included in the matchday squad to face Man City. It was later revealed that this was due to illness.
“Wes [Fofana] trained well yesterday but woke up today with a really high temperature so he's ill and can't play,” said caretaker manager McFarlane pre-match.
The severity of Fofana’s illness and his likelihood of returning to health in time for Wednesday night’s trip to Fulham are not yet known.
Young midfielder Dario Essugo remains out but is thought to be edging closer to fitness, having suffered a setback in his recovery in December. Reports suggest he is aiming to return to fitness later in January.
Former head coach Maresca said of his situation: “I don’t know. I don’t have information [on when Essugo can come back]. I know that he’s better. It’s not the same injury that he had in the past. It’s something small and it will be a short time.”
Romeo Lavia also remains on the side-lines for the Blues following a latest muscle issue picked up against Qarabag in the Champions League at the start of November. The 22-year-old has made just seven appearances in all competitions this season and his return timeline is not currently known. Meanwhile, Levi Colwill is expected to be out with an ACL injury until the back end of the season.