Chelsea Star Insists On Going For International Duty Despite Still Struggling With Injury
Emiliano Martinez has made his decision to travel to Argentina for the upcoming international break.
Maxence Lacroix's injury adds to Chelsea's problems, with Emi Martinez among those currently sidelined.
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Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez confirmed he will be on international duty with Argentina next week despite his jaw injury.
The 34-year-old suffered a concussion and fractured his jaw in a collision during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium in October.
He underwent jaw surgery and has been out of action since, with the younger Mike Penders filling in at goal for the last three games.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso recently hinted at Martinez's possible return before the international break, likely with a face mask. This suggests a positive development, but in a recent interview, Martinez himself admitted that the injury has still affected his training.
“At the moment, I can’t eat anything solid – it’s all puréed food; I’m like a baby,” the veteran goalkeeper told Argentine journalist Gaston Edul in an interview.
“Even so, I haven’t lost any weight. I’ve managed that with the nutritionist, who’s keeping me in good shape, but sometimes I lack strength in training,” he explained
Obviously, Martinez has yet to return to the training pitch and has only trained individually to stay fit. Therefore, rushing his return seems unnecessary, especially given Penders’ improving form. Additionally, Chelsea will only play one more game, against Sunderland this weekend, before heading into the international break.
Martinez’s international break plans
That said, having Martinez recover and rest at Cobham during the two-week international break would not be on the cards either. Martinez has already made up his mind that he would travel to Argentina for the national team’s upcoming two home friendlies against Uruguay (Nov 13) and Costa Rica (Nov 17).
“I’ll be going,” Martinez clarified about his plans for the upcoming international break.
“I’ve spoken to (Argentina goalkeeping coach) Martín (Tocalli) and (head coach Lionel) Scaloni, and my plan is to be part of the squad for the double-header to play in goal.
“I don’t know if I’ll be fit for the first or the second match; that will depend on how the training goes and whether I’m doing well during the week.”
Martinez is undeniably taking risks by choosing to play international duty despite his injury. However, it's easy to see why a player his age wouldn't want to miss opportunities to represent his country while he still can.
There is also the possibility that the international friendlies would help Martinez regain his match sharpness ahead of his expected Chelsea return.
Martinez’s Chelsea understudy Penders is also expected to be on international duty with Belgium for their final two group stage matches in the Nations League against Turkiye (Nov 12) and Italy (Nov 15). Manchester United’s Senne Lammens has been Belgium’s number one amid Thibaut Courtois’ absence, so it will be interesting to see whether Penders’ recent performance will help him move up the pecking order.
It is worth noting that Penders’ solid displays in recent weeks have likely helped him get closer to overtaking Martinez as the first-choice goalkeeper at Chelsea. The Belgium international has been touted to become Chelsea’s long-term number one in the future, but he has arguably proved that he is ready to compete for the role now.
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