On Wednesday night, Chelsea will host Red Bull Salzburg at Stamford Bridge, and Graham Potter must cope with a lot of injury concerns. Last week, in what turned out to be Thomas Tuchel’s final game as manager, the Blues lost 1-0 to Dinamo Zagbreb in the Champions League group stage opening. As a result, they are currently last in Group E.
Despite losing in Croatia, AC Milan and Salzburg drew, leaving everything still up for grabs. Graham Potter is the new manager of the west Londoners after Thomas Tuchel was fired hours after the Zagreb defeat.
After the Premier League decided to postpone and reschedule a number of games this weekend as a gesture of respect in light of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, the matchup with Salzburg was initially put in doubt. However, because the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League matches are under UEFA’s purview, the match will go.
The newly appointed manager will be seeking to revive Chelsea’s European fervor as he looks to make his managerial debut with a victory. In light of this, football.london provides you with all the most recent injury information and projected return dates for Potter.
E. Mendy
Mendy was hit in the ribs by Jarrod Bowen during Chelsea vs. West Ham, a contentious collision that resulted in a late equalizer being disallowed by VAR. The international player from Senegal missed the match against Zagreb as a result, but the game last weekend was postponed to give him more time to heal.
Tuchel’s words: “It’s too soon to comment on that, but I think he is currently having a bit of bad luck with what he is doing. In training, he is amazing, and he is, in general, a very calm and self-reflective guy who is conscious that he currently lacks a little bit of luck.
“His situation is not favorable. He receives severe punishment if there is even the slightest chance that his activity wasn’t entirely obvious. He is only at this point, and it doesn’t seem like it’s really his fault. He tries everything, and I get the impression that he is quite composed and concentrated. We’ll continue to help him.”
Date of anticipated return: Unknown
Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick
Days before moving from Camp Nou to Stamford Bridge, Aubameyang’s jaw was fractured by home burglars, and according to The Times, the Blues flew the 33-year-old to Milan to be equipped with a mask so that he could play as soon as possible.
Aubameyang played for Chelsea against Zagreb last week, proving that his therapy was effective. However, with a few more days of rest, the attacker might be ready for the big game.
Tuchel’s words: “Yes, he works out tomorrow, but I’m not sure if he works out in full contact or alone. We must wait and see. He is using the mask, and the physicians have informed me that it is effective and comfortable for him.
It’s too early to forecast, but he’ll be in training tomorrow morning, so we’ll see. “So he would be ok, but we need to check it, and we need to check it with no contact, half-contact, and then full contact.
Return is anticipated on September 14 – Salzburg (H)
Kanté, N’Golo
The great midfielder for Chelsea is still recovering from the hamstring injury he sustained against Tottenham.
“So in the moment, it’s just N’Golo out. Everyone else is available,” Tuchel said in a press conference prior to West Ham.
In response to a question about Kante’s injury, Tuchel stated on August 26: “With N’Golo, we are talking about weeks. We are talking about four weeks plus.”
Date of anticipated return: Unknown
Trevoh Chalobah
The defender sustained a minor injury during Leicester’s 2-1 victory in the fifth-week match. He consequently did not go with the team for the Southampton defeat.
He did, however, make a substitute appearance for the West Ham and Zagbreb matches. It is unclear if he will start against Salzburg because Wesley Fofana’s arrival has intensified the competition for spots.
