Chelsea are one of several Premier League sides heading into the final matchday with plenty still on the line - but a cloud of concern is hanging over west London after three players mysteriously picked up injuries ahead of their narrow 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Friday night. The Blues now travel to the City Ground next Sunday needing a win against Nottingham Forest to book their return ticket to the Champions League.
And there’ll be no time to put their feet up, with a flight to Wroclaw just three days later for a Europa Conference League final against Real Betis. With two season-defining fixtures in the space of four days, it might be tempting to call Enzo Maresca’s first campaign in charge a success should the results favour them, but given the club’s lavish spending, many feel the bar should’ve been set far higher.
Adding to the intrigue, Enzo Fernandez - who struggled to continue his post-New Year form and was largely overshadowed against United by a Man of the Match performance from Moises Caicedo - sparked speculation with a cryptic post referencing a mysterious eye injury. Now, curiosity is growing among fans that something behind the scenes just doesn’t add up.
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Three Chelsea Players Were Spotted With Mysterious Injuries
The Stamford Bridge faithful are chiming in with their conspiracies
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Following Friday night’s narrow win over the Red Devils, Fernandez took to Instagram to reveal he’d picked up a mysterious eye injury, meaning the Argentine was effectively playing under the lights with just one eye. He wrote (see the caption below):
"Last match at home with this group that will give it all until the end. We have two finals left. Thank you to the fans for the support all season. My first game playing with one eye."
But it didn't take long before one Chelsea supporter noticed that the midfielder wasn't the only one on the home side that was playing with an unusual injury. "So is no one going to mention that [Moises] Caicedo pulled up with a mask on," an X user pointed out, before adding:
"[Nicolas] Jackson had a bandaid on his nose, and Enzo had a weird eye all with no explanation. Are we all just going to pretend like we didn’t see that?"
It's sparked speculation online that there is more to Fernandez's eye injury than what is being made out, and perhaps something happened behind the scenes to disrupt the harmony in the Chelsea camp. "I wonder what happened during training," another X user commented, while a third asked: "Did something happen behind the scenes?"
As always with social media, there’s a risk that molehills are being turned into mountains. Still, the Blues will be determined to tune out the noise as they aim to finish the season on a high. Securing Champions League qualification would be a major boost for the Todd Boehly regime and its long-term vision, while a first piece of silverware since 2021 would offer a much-needed moment of triumph after several turbulent years.