Kendry Paez has endured a difficult 12 months ever since he joined Chelsea, and now, the teenager has learned whether he will need surgery on his shoulder after suffering an injury with River Plate.
It feels a long time ago that 18-year-old Paez joined Chelsea from Ecuadorian side Independiente Del Valle last summer. Since then, Paez has been sent on loan to Strasbourg, playing under Liam Rosenior.
However, the majority of his game time came as a substitute, and Chelsea decided to cancel that loan and send him to River Plate, hoping he would get more starts under the guidance of gaffer Marcelo Gallardo.
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That is yet to materialise, with River fans questioning the addition of Paez. On Sunday, River Plate lost once again to Velez Sarsfield with former West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini netting the only goal.
Kendry Paez in pain, but he won’t need surgery on shoulder
With Lanzini scoring inside the first 10 minutes, Gallardo brought Paez on at half-time in search of an equaliser. But the youngster was forced off 20 minutes later after a collision left him falling awkwardly.
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Paez dropped onto his shoulder and he was seen writhing in agony after the issue. Reports said that Paez would undergo tests on Monday to determine the damage he had suffered on his left clavicle.
But, according to TyC Sports, it is good news. Albeit in pain, Paez will not need to undergo surgery to correct the issue. In fact, River are confident that Paez could return to action sooner than first feared.
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While it seems harsh to suggest that Paez’s future at Chelsea is already in doubt, given he only signed last summer and is still only 18, it is the case. Todd Boehly will always sell if the price is right in the summer.
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Ultimately, Paez needs to hit some form if he is to prove to Chelsea that he can break into Rosenior’s set-up. There were glimpses in France, but nowhere near enough. At River, Paez has hardly got going.
Just two appearances, the second of which saw him forced off with the injury. Finally, some good news for Paez since joining Chelsea, and that is – as per the reports – he still has the chance to shine in Argentina.
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