Chelsea suffer new injury blow as 25-year-old star gets subbed off moments after kick-off against Aston Villa
Chelsea have suffered a new injury blow as 25-year-old defender Trevoh Chalobah had to be substituted just moments into the game against Aston Villa. The two sides faced off at Villa Park on Saturday in the Premier League.
With just six minutes on the clock, the former Crystal Palace loanee hit the turf after twisting his back during a duel with Marco Asensio. The Blues medical team were quickly on the pitch to tend to Chalobah, but despite receiving treatment, he seemed unlikely to continue playing. He was eventually substituted with eight minutes on the clock, with Tosin Adarabioyo coming into the game to take his place from the bench.
Only a minute after (9'), though, Enzo Fernandez found the net with a simple tap-in from point-blank range after receiving the perfect ball from Pedro Neto. Although Chelsea are in the lead, the addition of Chalobah to their list of injuries this season will cause them some trouble moving forward.
Chelsea manager complains about injury situation, but promises to "try and win games despite the injuries"
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has complained about the club's troubling injury record. The Blues have had to deal with a number of injuries to key players, including Marc Guiu, Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, and Noni Madueke.
The manager said in his press conference ahead of the Aston Villa game (via Ben Jacobs on X):
"We spent almost all season in the top four. Now with 13 games to go, for sure the target for us is top four. We want to try and do our best to achieve that, knowing the difficult moment we have now. And one of the most important reasons why is because of the injury situation.
"We have five or six players, significant players, who are out. I was watching our first game against Villa and we had Wes, Noni, Nico and Romeo. So it's changed completely. We are going to try and win games despite the injuries."
At the beginning of the season, Chelsea enjoyed an amazing run of form, losing just two losses in 17 Premier League games. However, their recent form has suffered, especially since the New Year. The Blues have won just twice in their last eight Premier League games, which is a serious cause for concern.
They sit sixth in the league, but a win over Aston Villa could see them finish fourth this weekend if Manchester City fail to beat Liverpool on Sunday.
