Midfielder out until “next season” is only stain on Chelsea’s Club World Cup run | OneFootball

It’s the 14th day in July – time to check out how our number 14 is getting on this month.

It was a glorious and successful Club World Cup for Chelsea in the end. The team performed well and escaped any serious injuries, despite the tournament coming at the end of a gruelling season.

There was one unfortunate issue picked up in training however – a muscle problem for new signing Dario Essugo, who was handed the 14 off Joao Felix’s back after it became clear the fellow Portuguese wasn’t coming back.

Maresca reports a month or more out for new signing

Dario Essugo at Cobham. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)

It wasn’t noted until the post-game press conference after the semi final win over Fluminense, when Enzo Maresca was discussing the nasty rolled ankle Moises Caicedo had in the final moments of the game:

“Dario [Essugo] had a muscle problem yesterday during the session. He will probably be ready for next season. Moi twisted his ankle. He felt he could try even though I told him we could play with 10 players. He felt pain. So hopefully he can be fit for Sunday.”

As it’s turned out, Caicedo was fine to play, but Essugo’s issue from behind closed doors was more severe.

Being “out until next season” is usually pretty bad in football, but when it comes in mid-July, it actually only means a month or so out.

Essugo will have catching up to do after absence

Still, it’s not ideal preparation for a player who is new to the group and will have wanted to use this time to impress his new manager. Essugo was preferred to Andrey Santos in the opening games of the CWC, but since then the Brazilian has played more and impressed.

However, as Maresca has pointed out, he sees Santos as a more attacking profile of midfielder anyway.