Estêvão, Gusto & Adarabioyo: Latest Chelsea injury news and expected return dates ahead of Pafos matchplaceholder image
Estêvão, Gusto & Adarabioyo: Latest Chelsea injury news and expected return dates ahead of Pafos match | Getty Images
The latest Chelsea injury and illness news ahead of their Champions League clash with Pafos.
Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea will be aim to build on Saturday’s win over Brentford when they welcome Cypriot side Pafos to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Wednesday evening – but the Blues’ new manager may have to make do without several players due to injury and illness.
Teenage wonderkid Estêvão Willian is the latest victim of a virus which has swept through Chelsea’s squad, while both Malo Gusto and Tosin Adarabioyo are among the recent additions to the club’s list of injured players. All in all, seven players are either out or doubts for Wednesday’s game.
With kick-off approaching, we’ve collected all of the latest Chelsea injury news and expected return dates for their stricken players below.
Estêvão a doubt for Chelsea as illness sweeps through squad
After the eventual 2-0 win over Brentford, Rosenior announced that Estêvão Willian had been left out of the matchday squad after becoming the third player to fall victim to a virus which has infected several members of Chelsea’s staff – along with fellow young winger Jamie Gittens, who also missed the EFL Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal.
“Late yesterday, Estevao had a temperature and a fever”, Rosenior told the media. “So he was ill. It's running through the squad. There were a couple of players playing today who were complaining about their chests, but they put in a magnificent effort.”
Both Estêvão and Gittens have been isolated from the rest of the squad and remain doubts for Wednesday while they recover. Liam Delap, another player who fell ill, is at least back with the squad after recovering in time to come off the bench against Brentford.
Rosenior’s comments suggested that several other players have also picked up the same illness and are experiencing some symptoms, meaning that late withdrawals may be possible ahead of the match against Pafos. It is unclear, however, which other players may be affected.
Malo Gusto & Tosin Adarabioyo among injury doubts for Pafos match
Another player who missed out on Saturday’s win was full-back Malo Gusto, who has now been unavailable for three consecutive games due to an undisclosed injury.
“‘I can't put a time frame on it, because there is no time frame,” Rosenior said. “It's more of a pain issue, so when he feels comfortable, that's when he'll be back with the group.”
With no further information made public about the nature of the problem affecting the Frenchman, it’s impossible to know when he might return to action, but he is a significant doubt for the game against Pafos as it stands.
Centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, meanwhile, had to be substituted just before the hour mark after he “felt something in his hamstring,” according to Rosenior, who added that the former Fulham defender’s withdrawal was “precautionary” but that he did not yet know whether there was a risk that he might miss time. He too goes down as a doubt.
Long-term absentees include Roméo Lavia, who is back in light training after a thigh injury and could be available again in mid-February, Levi Colwill, who may miss the rest of the season due to a ruptured ACL, and Mykhaylo Mudryk, who has been suspended due to alleged doping violations.
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