Chelsea face a mounting injury crisis heading into the international break after Enzo Fernandez, Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto all asked to be substituted during Saturday’s 3-0 win over Wolves.
Vice-captain Fernandez has now ruled himself out of Argentina’s friendly against Angola on November 14, revealing he has been struggling with a knee problem for four months. “I will not be available with Argentina,” he said. “I was just talking to the medical team because I had a problem with my knee in the last 4 months. I came with a bone oedema that got worse in the last weeks and months because we played a lot of games.”
Joao Pedro, who has been nursing a groin injury for several weeks, also asked to come off against Wolves. Head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed the trio’s issues: “Joao Pedro, Neto and Enzo, they asked for a change. Because Pedro had a problem with his groin. And Enzo had a problem with his knee. So we need to see how they are now.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Romeo Lavia faces another spell on the sidelines after lasting just five minutes of the draw with Qarabag last week due to a quad injury. The Belgian, signed from Southampton in 2023, has appeared in only 30 of Chelsea’s 130 competitive matches since his arrival.
Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s talisman, is also expected to remain out until December with a groin problem. Maresca admitted: “I was wrong. Unfortunately, he needs to be out probably six more weeks… the medical staff, they are not magicians.”
