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Okay, this just went from bad to worse for Chelsea. Just a week before they face Bayern Munich in the Champions League, the Blues have lost their talisman — American winger Christian Pulisic. The player pulled his hamstring during a long solo run in the early part of the second half against Arsenal. Pulisic is so far Chelsea’s only scorer in the game. He was subbed off for Pedro.
This injury, combined with the loss of Cesar Azpilicueta in the first half, likely puts Frank Lampard in a very difficult spot before next week’s game against Bayern. Marcos Alonso is suspended, and without Pulisic and Azpi, he has a tall order to overturn the three-goal deficit from the first leg.
Of course, at Bayern we have our own injuries, so we know how devastating it is to lose your player just before (or arguably, during) such a big game. Chelsea have a uphill battle against Arsenal at the moment, and even if they win they will need a miracle to go through in Munich next week.
Injuries suck. We wish Christian Pulisic a speedy recovery, and neither team loses any more players in the coming days. Let’s hope for a good game of football in Munich next week.
Update
What the hell happened to Chelsea? Now Pedro, who came on for Pulisic, is stretchered off. Looked like a dislocated shoulder. Will they even have a full XI next week?
Christian Pulisic was forced out of the #FACupFinal with an apparent hamstring injury.
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 1, 2020
Here's to a speedy recovery pic.twitter.com/BpvBcK0INP
Update #2
Chelsea coach Frank Lampard confirms the injuries:
On the injuries, Lampard says Azpi and Pulisic have hamstring strains which need scanning but they won't be fit for next weekend. Pedro might have a dislocated shoulder but that is not certain yet. That is all from the boss here. #HeadsUpFACupFinal
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 1, 2020