Mauricio Pochettino ‘unsure’ if Christopher Nkunku will play again this season | OneFootball

In his pre-match press conference as Chelsea prepare to face Manchester United, Mauricio Pochettino was asked whether Christopher Nkunku (26) would be able to play again for the Blue this season after a prolonged rehabilitation period to recover from injury.

When asked about the likelihood of Nkunku playing again for Chelsea this season, Pochettino said, “At the moment, we do not know when it is possible for him to start to train with the team. At the moment, he is not training with us. That setback didn’t happen. I have no information about that. He is recovering and it has been longer than we expected.”

Despite no injury setback, this longer-than-expected rehabilitation period is another blemish in what has been an injury-fueled season for the France international attacker. At the time of writing, the PSG academy graduate has missed 32 games across all competitions with four separate injuries since he made the switch from Leipzig to West London in the summer transfer window.

Euros in doubt?

With Pochettino unsure if Nkunku will be able to play for Chelsea again this season, this brings his eligibility for his country into doubt too. The 26-year-old missed the March international break due to injury. As EURO 2024 fast approaches, the likelihood of the former Leipzig forward being able to represent France in Germany looks to be diminishing with his fitness no clearer.

GFFN | Liam Wraith