Chelsea FC are grappling with a new injury worry after their star midfielder, Andrey Santos, was forced to leave the field during Saturday's 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Santos has been a consistent performer under coach Liam Rosenior, who previously mentored him at Strasbourg. The 21-year-old Brazilian has experienced a significant resurgence at Chelsea following Rosenior's arrival and continued his role as the linchpin of the Blues’ midfield at Molineux alongside Moises Caicedo.
Throughout most of Saturday’s match, Santos had minimal defensive duties and kept Chelsea moving smoothly with sensible short-range passes. However, an incident late in the game could potentially disrupt his participation in Tuesday's Premier League fixture against Leeds United.
Late knock raises concerns
In the final ten minutes of regulation time, Santos seemed to sustain an injury and despite attempting to continue playing, he eventually signaled to the bench that he needed substitution. After receiving on-pitch treatment, he exited in the 84th minute with Jorrel Hato stepping up as his replacement for the remainder of the match.
Rosenior did not provide any updates on Santos' condition during his post-match press conference on Saturday nor was he asked about it specifically. This suggests that pulling out Santos might have been more precautionary than due to a severe injury.
Nonetheless, it is expected that medical staff will assess Santos before making any decisions regarding his involvement when Chelsea hosts Leeds on Tuesday evening. His potential absence could be a significant blow for Chelsea given how integral he has become under Rosenior's management. The upcoming days will undoubtedly be crucial for both player and club as they hope for positive news regarding this fresh injury concern.
