Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens has hurt his hamstring again. Manager Liam Rosenior confirmed the bad news after the Blues’ 7-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Port Vale at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Even though he trained with the Chelsea team before the match, the 21-year-old was not chosen to play against Port Vale. Rosenior said that the winger hurt himself during training on Friday, right when he was about to start playing again.
After the game, the Chelsea manager told the press the bad news:
“Unfortunately, Jamie, in training yesterday, picked up what looks like a hamstring injury again. We have to scan him and make sure. It’s a real shame for him, I think it’s the third time it’s happened. We need to help him and we need to make sure he’s okay. I can’t give you a time frame on that at the moment.”
The England Under-21 international’s first season at Stamford Bridge has been very frustrating. He came from Borussia Dortmund last summer in a deal worth an initial £48.5 million. This season, Gittens has only played 490 minutes in the Premier League, scoring no goals and getting two assists in 16 games.
His first major hamstring problem happened at the end of January, when Chelsea came back to beat West Ham United 3–2. He had to leave the game after just 26 minutes. After scans, it was found that he had a tear in his hamstring, and at the time, he was said to be out for a long time. This latest setback makes it very likely that Gittens won’t play again before the end of the campaign.
Estevao’s Return Offers Chelsea a Silver Lining on the Wing
Chelsea can take comfort in the timely return of Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian, even though Gittens’ injury is a huge blow. Before the Port Vale game, Rosenior said that Estevao was completely healthy and ready to start after getting over his own hamstring injury.
The 18-year-old showed his manager that he could be trusted by scoring a goal and setting up another in Chelsea’s 7-0 win on Saturday. Estevao was a constant threat all afternoon. He helped Andrey Santos score a header and then scored his own goal in the 82nd minute.
Estevao has been involved in 10 goals in 32 games this season, making him one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League. Chelsea are still trying to qualify for the Champions League and now have their sights set on winning the FA Cup at Wembley. His availability couldn’t have come at a better time.
Next Sunday, Chelsea will play Manchester City in the Premier League. The FA Cup semi-finals will take place on April 25 and 26. As the Blues finish out the season with a tough stretch of games, Rosenior will be hoping that Estevao’s return can make up for Gittens’ absence.