Chelsea have a squad issue, not a minor inconvenience. Results have dipped, rhythm has gone, and now the injury list is growing at exactly the wrong time for Xabi Alonso.
The latest problem is Maxence Lacroix, who went off before half-time in the Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool after appearing to hurt his hamstring while tracking Cody Gakpo. It did not look good, and the manager was not pretending otherwise. Alonso said: “Too early to tell. Probably he felt something on the hamstrings. And we need a couple of days to check what’s going to be the injury.”
That is where Chelsea are right now, waiting on scans, waiting on clarity, waiting on players. The one bit of good news is that Cole Palmer is available again after serving his one-match suspension following the red card against Tottenham. Beyond that, the picture is far less tidy.
For a side trying to settle into a demanding season, these absences are not cosmetic. They affect the spine of the team, the captaincy structure, the attack, and now potentially the defence too.
Maxence Lacroix adds fresh uncertainty
Lacroix has been one of Chelsea’s regulars this season, and that matters. He has played because he has been needed, and because he has generally been reliable. Losing him, even for a short spell, would force another reshuffle in a side already short on continuity.
The manner of the injury is what will worry Chelsea most. A player pulling up after a recovery run and immediately signalling distress usually points to a muscular problem that needs careful management. Alonso’s line was measured, but nobody leaves the pitch with that expression unless there is genuine concern.
At this stage, there is no firm return date. Chelsea will assess him over the next few days, but hamstring issues are rarely worth guessing at before the medical staff have all the information.
Chelsea’s immediate concern is simple enough, whether Lacroix has avoided a significant lay-off or whether another regular is about…
..
