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The good, the bad and the ugly for Chelsea during the int’l break

By Gabe Henderson

TIRANA, ALBANIA - MARCH 28: Mason Mount ion England runs through the Albania defence during the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar qualifying match between Albania and England at the Qemal Stafa Stadium on March 28, 2021 in Tirana, Albania. Sporting stadiums around Europe remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)
TIRANA, ALBANIA - MARCH 28: Mason Mount ion England runs through the Albania defence during the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar qualifying match between Albania and England at the Qemal Stafa Stadium on March 28, 2021 in Tirana, Albania. Sporting stadiums around Europe remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 09: General view of The UEFA Champions League logo before the UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and FC Porto at Stamford Bridge on December 9, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 09: General view of The UEFA Champions League logo before the UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and FC Porto at Stamford Bridge on December 9, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) /

The bad

The last—I write with hope—injury of the international break finds its way onto the bad list. Mason Mount suffered a small setback with the England senior team. This injury is the most concerning, but it also seems to be the least severe of the bunch. Mount was kept out of England warm ups early this week. However, he did take part in training.

As Gareth Southgate prepares to take on Poland, he is devising a game plan that will likely not include the Chelsea star. The 22-year-old is available, it’d just be a risk to start him. Mount has not returned to Cobham like his compatriot Hudson-Odoi or fellow midfielder Kante. This is a promising sign that he will be OK to rejoin the Blues’ training in a matter of days. He’s enjoyed a wonderful international break up to this point (more on that later), so hopefully this won’t put a damper on his mood. Although based on his latest Instagram post, that doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Another negative aspect of this international break has been some news Chelsea supporters received on Tuesday morning that has nothing to do with the national teams themselves, just the timeline. UEFA announced that the two-legged Champions League quarterfinal tie between the Blues and Porto will be moved to a neutral venue. Both legs will be played at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan in Seville with the dates and times remaining unchanged. The quarterfinal bouts were moved as a part of the continued precautions UEFA is taking to keep everyone at each club safe.

Chelsea has played at the venue once this season, giving the English side the slightest advantage. However, this is bad news because it completely eliminates the advantage the Blues had going into the tie. Chelsea was set to travel to Estadio Do Dragao in a matter of days for the first leg before hosting the Portuguese side for the return fixture. Playing a second leg at home is a massive edge for the host, especially this far into the competition. It’s not the end of the world, but it is a bit saddening to know that Stamford Bridge won’t get to play host to the Blues’ biggest match of the season on April 13.

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