Enzo Maresca supplies damage replace on Marc Cucurella

Chelsea are dealing with an anxious interval as they await readability on a doable hamstring damage to Marc Cucurella after the loss to Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s facet turned the sport round via two targets from substitute Ollie Watkins, overturning Joao Pedro’s opener that had capped a dominant first-half show from Chelsea.

That defeat leaves Chelsea in fifth place, three factors behind fourth-placed Liverpool and ten factors behind third-placed Aston Villa within the battle for Champions League qualification.

The left-back was pressured to sign for a change throughout Saturday’s 2–1 defeat, finishing 69 minutes earlier than making approach for Malo Gusto.

Cucurella has been a relentless presence for Enzo Maresca this season, lacking solely 90 minutes throughout 4 Premier League matches and changing into the primary Chelsea participant to exceed 2,000 minutes this marketing campaign.

Blow

With centre-back Jorrel Hato the primary different on the left facet, a lot of the workload has fallen on the Spaniard at any time when accessible.

Nonetheless, Cucurella is now as a result of bear scans, casting critical doubt over his availability for Tuesday’s assembly with Bournemouth.

Including to the frustration of the defeat, Maresca later confirmed Chelsea at the moment are ready on the outcomes of assessments to find out the severity of Cucurella’s potential hamstring damage.

‘As a result of he was complaining about his hamstring,’ he instructed his post-match press convention.

‘We don’t know if it’s an damage now or not. He requested for the change.’

Liam Delap and Estevao each returned from damage as second-half substitutes within the contest, however their introductions weren’t sufficient to cease Chelsea slipping to a different house defeat.

Maresca will now be hoping Cucurella is slot in time for Bournemouth’s go to to Stamford Bridge within the coming days, whereas additionally demanding a sharper edge in entrance of aim than was on show on Saturday night time. Regardless of dominating the opening half in opposition to Villa, Chelsea paid the value for missed probabilities because the guests mounted a comeback after the interval.