Chelsea defender ruled out for Man City clash and Carabao Cup final vs. Liverpool
Chelsea are gearing up for a tricky spell, with the London giants set to face Manchester City, Brentford, Newcastle, and Arsenal in the Premier League and Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final over the next five weeks.
Unfortunately, the Blues could be without one talented defender for this crucial period. That player is Benoit Badiashile, with the French center-back having picked up an injury in the recent FA Cup triumph over Aston Villa.
The former Monaco ace was forced off the pitch in that 3-1 victory over Unai Emery's side, with Chelsea now revealing the extent of this injury. As reported by the Sun, the 22-year-old picked up a groin problem and will be sidelined for at least four weeks.
This means he is guaranteed to miss the trip to Man City on February 17 as well as the Wembley showdown with Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on February 25.
Badiashile could return at the start of March, thus handing him hope for the league games against Newcastle and Arsenal on March 11 and 16, respectively. However, the Frenchman has sat out several games this season, mainly due to injuries, and thus may not rush his comeback.
Pochettino's side are 11th in the league with only 31 points after 23 games. In comparison, Tottenham, who are fourth despite appointing a new manager over the summer and having suffered numerous injuries, are 16 points ahead of their city rivals.
Additionally, only two teams in the top half of the Premier League table have conceded more goals than Chelsea (39) this season and they are West Ham (42), who conceded six against Arsenal on Sunday, and Brighton (40). As a result, Pochettino could have done without this latest injury.
The Carabao Cup final is the most important game as Chelsea appear unlikely to qualify for European football this season. The London giants have many other injuries as well, with Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, and Romeo Lavia all being on the treatment table.
