Liam Rosenior is in the midst of his worst week since taking over as the new Chelsea manager from Enzo Maresca.
The Blues have been knocked out of the EFL Cup by Arsenal with a whimper, in a game where Rosenior’s tactics came under scrutiny.
Chelsea didn’t really make a go of things until the 60th minute mark, at which point it was too late to influence proceedings.
Did Rosenior get his tactics wrong against Arteta? 🤔
Hindsight is a wonderful thing…
They still started a relatively strong team. Rosenior named all three of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos in the starting side.
Dario Essugo of Chelsea inspects the pitch
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Dario Essugo ruled out for another few weeks
The manager will have loved to have had the opportunity to rest the former two at some stage, although midfield availability in the squad has not been good recently.
Both Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia have been absent for a prolonged period of time, and while the Belgian is closing in on a return, Essugo has unfortunately suffered a setback in his recovery.
According to The Athletic, the midfielder will now be out until at least March, further extending the timeframe until he makes his domestic debut for the club.
He featured in the successful Club World Cup campaign, however has not made an appearance yet in 2025/26 so far.
Out of Andrey Santos, Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian, who deserves a World Cup place the most?🤔
Carlo Ancelotti thinks it's Estevao…
Joao Pedro, Andrey Santos and Estevao Willian's World Cup chances
Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images
Essugo’s latest injury a real worry for Chelsea
Chelsea have not had the best luck with injuries in the last few years. Lavia and Reece James are amongst those who have missed prolonged periods of time.
Before joining Chelsea, Essugo had missed just six games due to injury whilst playing for Sporting and Las Palmas.
Now, he has been absent for over 30 games since joining Chelsea last summer, and that is a real concern when looking at the club’s fitness records.
There is hope that Essugo can make his debut in the coming weeks, however there may become an acceptance that it would be best for his long-term fitness if he benefitted from an extra summer off.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox