While it was initially thought that he had suffered a concussion, Pedro has in fact suffered multiple fractures. He should rejoin Chelsea within two weeks, though.
Pedro departed Chelsea’s pre-season opener against Arsenal prematurely on Saturday. The winger was involved in a nasty collision with David Ospina and was substituted in the 29th minute. While it was initially thought that he had suffered from a concussion, Antonio Conte confirmed on Monday that the injury is more serious than expected.
Conte says Pedro's injury was more serious than he thought, he has multiple fractures but with a mask he should train in 10 days. #CFCTour
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 24, 2017
That is certainly a much worse diagnosis. It was hoped that the Spaniard would fly out to Singapore on Sunday or Monday, after being checked up at the hospital. However, this news sets him back a couple of weeks.
Fortunately, the injury appears to be superficial. The nature of the fractures is still to be revealed, but the fact that he will be able to train with a mask suggests that they are minor.
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Nevertheless, this is not the news Conte would have liked to receive. The Blues are gearing up for a busy season and every day spent on the training field will be vital. Pedro was due to be a starter on the opening day and this time off may change that.
The Community Shield takes place in 13 days. If the winger is only getting back to training in ten days, he is unlikely to feature in the traditional season curtain-raiser. With Eden Hazard also injured, Conte will have to shuffle around and play a relatively fresh face on the wing.
However, this does give an opportunity for one of the fringe players to steal the show. No matter how well they perform in pre-season, the friendly caveat still affects judgement. If Pedro’s replacement can put on a show at Wembley Stadium, then Conte is more likely to take notice.
Next: Chelsea must keep pace with rivals in wing-back transfer market
What do you think of the news? Who should take Pedro’s place against arch-rivals Arsenal? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below!
As for Pedro, let’s hope for a speedy recovery!