Chelsea were dealt a double injury blow during their UEFA Champions League win over Swedish outfit Malmo, as both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner went down with injuries.
Lukaku twisted his ankle in a tackle which eventually ended in a Chelsea penalty, and was forced to be substituted following the incident.
The injury comes just days after his manager, Thomas Tuchel said he was “mentally tired” when asked about Lukaku’s current scoring record of just four goals in 11 games so far; Lukaku has played 12 games in the last six weeks, being prominent for his national side.
🗣️ "He can turn things around in terms of scoring and being decisive."
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 21, 2021
Thomas Tuchel does not regret playing Romelu Lukaku in #CFC's win over Malmo, despite the striker hobbling off with an injury. pic.twitter.com/XTgkVzgJTb
Timo Werner’s situation
Werner pulled up when making a forward run, and has a believed hamstring injury. Both blows came in the first half of the game – but Chelsea were able to press on – and win the game 4-0.
Tuchel believes the pair will miss a few games, but they will receive scans in the coming days to determine the length of their respective absence.
"It will take a while for both of them, and we will need more examinations to be precise.The will be out for some matches. (via BBC Sport)"
Blues fans will be happy to know that their next run of games is rather straightforward: They face Norwich, Newcastle and Burnley in their next three Premier League outings, have midweek games against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, and Malmo again in the Champions League.
The door is now open for Tuchel to revert to a style he played in the team’s Champions League Final win, utilising German Kai Havertz in the false-nine role, using pacey, tricky attacking players, either side of him.
Tuchel and Chelsea fans will hope the absence of the two players will not affect their league form, as they look to solidify their position at the top of the table.