The start to the season has been filled with injuries for Chelsea and it could very well end up derailing their campaign if things continue in this manner. The latest on the injured list is someone who suffered it while away on international duty during this break and he has now had to undergo surgery as a result of it.
A number of Chelsea's highly-rated signings under the new ownership have never really found their feet due to injuries. Two names that come to mind immediately are Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia.
One can only hope that Dario Essugo does not end up on that list. He was very impressive in pre-season but is now set for time out on the sidelines without having playing a competitive minute of football for Chelsea.
As confirmed by Chelsea's official website, Essugo has undergone successful surgery today on his thigh. He sustained the injury while away on international duty for Portugal's Under-21s.
Official: Chelsea player undergoes surgery after injury on international duty
Essugo had looked like quite the talent during his pre-season appearances. In fact, he was one of the standouts and the similarity in his game to that of Moises Caicedo was almost scary.
Essugo could have gotten a decent bit of playing time this season as the cover option for Caicedo. But unfortunately, he will not start a recovery process instead, having undergone surgery.
It is unclear how much time it will take for Essugo to recover. Not tentative timeline has been provided. The injury does raise some questions about Chelsea's depth in that area of the pitch. Lavia continues to struggle with fitness issues, while Caicedo recently missed a game for Ecuador due to 'physical discomfort'.
This is not the start to his Chelsea career that Essugo would have been hoping for. We can only wish him the best in his recovery and hope to see him back on the pitch as soon as possible. Good luck, Dario.