A lot of Chelsea fans were left surprised when Joao Pedro’s name was missing from the matchday squad to take on Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian forward has been the club’s best player this season, officially named as such recently. So, his absence is a problem for a team that has struggled in front of goal. There is no doubt about.
There was plenty of doubt when it came to the reason of Pedro’s absence. No news of him being injured had come out to the media heading into the game.
The timing was even more interesting as Pedro had been left out of the Brazilian squad for the upcoming World Cup just yesterday. So, that added another layer of intrigue to the entire situation. Many wondered if that was the reason he was missing from the squad.
Well, as it turns out, that is not it. The absence is fitness-related. According to Kieran Gill, Pedro has a knock and Levi Colwill is missing due to load management.
Pedro missing for Chelsea against Tottenham due to knock
Pedro was visibly struggling in the FA Cup final against Manchester City at one point. It had looked like possible cramp. But now, it appears that it might have been a knock instead.
He tried to continue on but had to be subbed off. If he was fit enough to continue, one would imagine that Chelsea would have kept him on, especially chasing a goal in a final.
With just one more game left to be played this season, we might not see him in action in this campaign again. If so, we can only wish him the best in his recovery and hope to see him back, fully fit and at his best, in the summer under Xabi Alonso.
Pedro has been linked with a move to Barcelona
It is also worth noting that he has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona recently. That interest has been confirmed by several reliable sources. And while it has been maintained that Chelsea are not willing to listen to any offers for their best player, that can change if he starts pushing for a move.
Remember, Pedro did not make the World Cup squad despite having a great debut campaign for Chelsea. Could he be wondering if the situation would have been different if he were a Barcelona player? If so, could it lead to an exit?
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Pedro. One would hope that he decides to remain at Chelsea for the foreseeable future as he is one of the Blues’ most important player right now.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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