The international break is underway and it is known to be an anxious time for fans. The reason is the likelihood of players picking up injuries during this period while away with their national teams. And unfortunately for Chelsea, that has come true and one player might remain sidelined for the rest of 2025.
Meanwhile, the new club footballing season has just about kicked off and Chelsea have already been handed a few setbacks to key players. Liam Delap is out for about 10 weeks, whereas Levi Colwill will miss the majority of this campaign, if not all of it.
Now to make matters worse, another Chelsea player has suffered an injury that might keep him out for a long time. The player in question is Dario Essugo.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea fear that Essugo will be sidelined for a minimum of 12 weeks following the surgery on a thigh issue. That means he may not be available for selection until 2026.
Essugo picks up injury that might keep Chelsea midfielder sidelined till 2026
Chelsea signed the youngster from Sporting CP in the summer. He has already made his debut for the Blues in the Club World Cup, where he appeared in three matches.
Chelsea were planning on using Essugo as a backup for Moises Caicedo, who is one of the most regularly used players in the Blues squad. But they will have to wait for the time being after this recent blow, with the youngster suffering the injury while away with the Portuguese under-21 team.
This new setback will surely limit Enzo Maresca’s options in the middle of the park, especially in the defensive midfielder role. Romeo Lavia is also not available for the time being. And unfortunately, that is the case with him quite often.
Anyway, Chelsea will look to secure their third consecutive Premier League win when they face Brentford on 14th September. Caicedo is expected to be the starter in that matchup and in upcoming fixtures until other options become available.