Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has given a frustrating injury update on midfielder Dario Essugo, saying that the player has had a setback in his recovery. The news comes just as the Blues get ready to go to Elland Road on Wednesday night to play Leeds United in the Premier League.
Essugo had just returned to first-team training and was looking forward to being a part of the upcoming schedule after being out for a while. But during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Maresca said that the young midfielder’s return has been pushed back, which means that the medical staff has to stop his rehabilitation.
Before the Leeds game, Maresca talked to the press about Essugo’s fitness. He said:
“Dario [Essugo], he was okay to start some sessions with us. Now he needs to slow down a little bit, so he will be out again.”
The Italian manager said he hoped the problem was small and said:
“Hopefully nothing important. And the rest, they are all fine.”
The setback hurts Chelsea’s depth in the middle of the field, especially since Moises Caicedo will be out for the midweek game after getting a red card against Arsenal on Sunday.
Even though Essugo wasn’t guaranteed to start, his presence in training suggested that there would soon be another option available for the busy month of December.
Cole Palmer is available to play for Chelsea
Even though there is bad news about Essugo, there is much better news about Cole Palmer, the team’s star player. The England international was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday. Maresca had to make this choice because the team lost a player early in the game.
Maresca said that Palmer is not hurt and is fully available to play against Leeds United. The manager indicated that the plan is to gradually build Palmer’s match fitness back up to 100%, and he is expected to play a part at Elland Road as Chelsea look to return to winning ways.