It’s still preseason…downed ‘offensive linchpin’, coach “needs to see the extent of the injury” sighs

The new coach sighs deeply. A key attacker has gone down with an injury in preseason.

Chelsea drew 1-1 with Borussia Dortmund in a preseason match at Soldier Field in Chicago on Wednesday (July 3). Mauricio Pochettino, who took over the reins at Chelsea ahead of the 2023-24 season, was in full swing.

Things went badly wrong in the friendly. Christopher Nkunku, 25, who started against Dortmund, was substituted midway through the first half after complaining of knee pain. After the substitution, he rested on ice on the bench. Pochettino said in his post-match interview, “We have to see the extent of Nkunku’s injury. The medical team is working on the exact situation.”

Nkunku arrived at Chelsea in the summer transfer window after conquering the German Bundesliga. The deal was reportedly finalized last winter. He has been a key part of Chelsea’s offense since preseason. He is a versatile player who can cover all areas of the attack. He has also shown a keen eye for goal, scoring three goals in four games.토토사이트

Chelsea manager Pochettino.

Nkunkwo has formed a fantastic partnership with Nicolas Jackson.

N’Koukounmpo’s future at Chelsea is looking bright.

In his fifth game in a Chelsea shirt, something happened. In the 20th minute of the first half, Nkunkwo went down after taking a knee. In the ninth minute, Nkunku was brought down by a tackle from a Dortmund defender inside the penalty box. “In that situation, there should have been a penalty,” Pochettino said, “He probably injured his knee in the tackle. He had a chance to score a goal. But Nkunku seemed to have felt pain in his knee during the game,” Pochettino said.

“I hope it’s not a serious injury. “It will take a few days to determine the extent of the injury. We won’t know exactly until we get back to London,” he said of Nkunkwo’s situation.

He also expressed his disappointment with the pitch. According to the BBC, the pre-match show between Chelsea and Dortmund left a lot of damage to the turf. In fact, many parts of the field were patchy and worn. Soldier Field is home to the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). “It’s one of the variables of the pre-season tour,” Pochettino said. Some of the stadiums are not dedicated to soccer,” Pochettino said, adding, “We were unlucky, we can’t complain about the ground conditions.”