Mauricio Pochettino offers injury update on £52m summer signing that won’t please Chelsea fans

Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku could miss remainder of season due to injury

Mauricio Pochettino provides recent update on Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku injury demonstrates that the Frenchman is likely to miss the remainder of the season. Since joining the Blues, Nkunku hasn’t been able to show his worth.

Despite his much-discussed summer signing, the 25-year-old was out of action for the majority of the season. Nkunku is one of Chelsea’s few veteran players, and his availability may have contributed to the team’s lacklustre performance this season.

But that hasn’t been the case, and now it’s likely that he will only become fit for next season. Nkunku has just one goal this campaign, which was a 4-1 defeat against Liverpool in the Premier League.

It’s a shame that, given that we signed Nkunku, much was expected for the Frenchman to make a difference for us, but Pochettino’s recent injury update suggests he might not play this campaign. Meanwhile, the Argentine manager said in a press conference via Football.London:

“It was after the final, where he played 30 or 40 minutes, that there was a problem, and we didn’t know until we found out after the game.

“This type of circumstance affects the overall situation because it’s not only him but too many players this season. But I hope that he can be involved again quickly, as soon as possible, in the dynamic of the team, and of course, if he should be really good before the end of the season, then we can come with him and he can be part of the team. I hope that that happens.”

It seems from Pochettino’s remarks that he is sceptical about Nkunku’s timeliness of return this season. He hasn’t played much, but when he has, as against Liverpool, we’ve seen his final touch, which the Blues missed the most this campaign. However, since his injury kept him from playing more games, his form wasn’t at its best. 

Even if he does make a comeback, we don’t expect him to have an immediate effect. He has to play more games to regain his flow after reaching peak condition. When a forward returns from an extended injury, it takes time for him to regain form.

More Chelsea news

• Chelsea owner Todd Boehly asks for patience from fans amid ongoing on-field crisis
• Barcelona give Chelsea upper hand in pursuit of Estevao Willian after pulling out of race
• Some Chelsea players open to the idea of Mauricio Pochettino leaving ahead of next season

Nkunku has been sustaining frequent injuries since last season, and starting with the next campaign, we will have to be more cautious as we cannot let such a latent injury go to waste. He is only a few players whose presence adds significant quality to the team and hopefully, he will be fully fit to play next campaign.