Chelsea injury crisis deepens as Edouard Mendy undergoes surgery

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The injury crisis as Stamford Bridge has gone from bad to worse with Edouard Mendy now facing an extended spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a fractured finger, Chelsea have confirmed. The Senegal international had not featured for Chelsea since the seaso restarted due to a shoulder problem.

But he suffered a separate injury this week when he fractured his finger in training and has now undergone an operation. Chelsea didn’t put a timescale on when Mendy is likely to return, but it’s the latest setback for Graham Potter.

Their injury woes were laid bare against Manchester City on Thursday with both Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic hobbling off with separate knocks. Mason Mount didn’t make the matchday squad either after suffering an issue during training this week.

They all join Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Reece James, N’Golo Kante, Armando Broja and Wesley Fofana on the injury table.

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Speaking in the immediate aftermath of Chelsea’s defeat to City on Thursday, Potter gave a brief update on Mount, Pulisic and Sterling. “It doesn’t make it any easier,” Potter said. “It’s too soon [to know the extent]. Raheem, it was his first action in the game, a strange one, a back heel.

“Christian’s, he was running at full pelt and it’s a blocked shot and contact with his knee. Fingers crossed it’s not too bad. Mason [Mount] got a kick yesterday in training, again we’re hopeful for the weekend but it’s one of those things at the moment.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it and I’d ideally not want to experience it here. But it is what it is, I have to just carry on.” Chelsea face off against City for the second time in a matter of days on Sunday in the third round of the FA Cup.

But Potter’s main concern will likely be their position in the Premier League as they currently sit 10th in the table. They’re already 10 points adrift of the top-four spots, but Potter is calling for unit to help their cause.

“I think given the situation we’re in, to think about what is going to happen in five months’ time is the wrong path for us,” he said. “We just have to focus on the next day and the next game.

“We have to keep being together, keep the performance level we showed today, keep taking the challenges that come our way, and try to stay together as a team and as a club and move forward.”

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