After a disappointing exit from the Champions League, Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has called on his players to rally around him and focus on a crucial Premier League trip to Everton on Saturday. The Blues lost 3-0 to Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. They were knocked out of the tournament 8-2 on aggregate, which is the club’s worst two-legged loss in European competition history.
The defending champions scored three goals, one each from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola, and 19-year-old Senny Mayulu. Chelsea have lost for the third time in a row, following a 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle over the weekend and a 5-2 loss in the first leg in Paris.
After the game, the Chelsea manager was defiant about the future, saying that his players needed to show character in the last few weeks of the season.
“We have to fight our way out of it. We make sure we go to Everton with a really fit fresh squad willing to fight for the shirt and get the three points that we need! — We have to fight for everything. We have to make sure that at the minimum this club is in this competition again next season.”
The Blues are currently in sixth place with 48 points from 30 games. They are just one point behind Liverpool, who are in fifth place, and five points ahead of Everton, who are in eighth place with 43 points. Every point counts in the final stretch because fifth place could mean a spot in the Champions League, depending on England’s UEFA coefficient ranking.
It won’t be easy at Hill Dickinson Stadium, especially since Chelsea’s defence is hurt, and they have to deal with that. After colliding with Achraf Hakimi, Trevoh Chalobah sustained a serious ankle injury and had to be carried off the pitch against PSG. Captain Reece James is out with his tenth hamstring injury, and Levi Colwill is still out for a long time because of an ACL injury. Malo Gusto also missed the PSG game because he was sick, and centre-back Benoit Badiashile was also sick and couldn’t play.
Chelsea Worried About Chalobah’s Ankle Injury Ahead of Everton Trip
On Tuesday night, the defensive crisis got worse when Chalobah fell to the ground in obvious pain during the last minutes of the PSG loss. The 26-year-old has been one of Chelsea’s most consistent performers this season, making 46 appearances across all competitions and starting six Champions League matches.
Later, Chalobah posted a disturbing picture of his twisted ankle on Instagram and told fans that his ankle “should be broken.” He also promised that the team would “stick together” during this tough time. A high ankle sprain could keep the defender out for at least six weeks, which would probably end his chances of making Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad this summer.
Fofana is also doubtful because he was rested against PSG due to muscle fatigue. This means that Rosenior might have to put together a makeshift backline at a place where David Moyes’ Everton have been hard to beat.