Chelsea have £300m worth of unavailable talent as staggering cost of injury crisis laid bare
Chelsea currently have more injured players than recorded wins in all competitions in 2024.
Few clubs have experienced an injury crisis like that of the Blues this season, which could have ten players unavailable for Saturday's clash against Burnley.
Mauricio PochettinoThe team, which has won just eight games this calendar year, has now incredibly had a whopping 47 separate injuries this season.
That's more than their Premier League points total (39), with a host of star-studded names out of action.
Seven of those ten players have been signed by the club, with a combined fee of around £300m.
Of those currently on the sidelines, only the captain James ReeceLevi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah pass through the esteemed Cobham Academy.
Here talkSPORT.com takes a look at the seven stars Chelsea have paid big money for, who may play no part in the upcoming fixture against the Clarets at Stamford Bridge.
Wesley Fofana: £70m
Long absent, the French centre-back has not played for the west London side this campaign after suffering an injury last summer.
The 23-year-old is currently recovering from ACL surgery and is unlikely to be considered for participation until next term.
flabbywho missed four months with another knee problem last season, has been limited to just 20 appearances for Chelsea since arriving from Leicester in 2022.
8
Romeo Lavia: £53 million
The Belgian, a high-value signing from relegated Southampton in 2023, has been limited to just 32 minutes of action.
An ankle injury saw Route He made his long-awaited debut in December against Crystal Palace, but suffered a thigh problem in his only outing for the Blues.
And it was recently confirmed that the 20-year-old the season is over after a setback in his rehabilitation.
8
Christopher Nkunku: £52 million
Touted as the man who will bring the Champions League back to Stamford Bridge, the former RB Leipzig striker has barely made an impact.
The repeated setbacks, which began on the club's preseason tour of America where he injured his kneehas limited him to just ten appearances in all competitions.
A hamstring injury is what keeps him Nkunku He is currently out of the team and it is unknown when the Les Bleus star could return.
8
Ben Chilwell: £50m
It remains to be seen whether the left-back will be fit to face Vincent Kompany's men after returning from England with a minor problem.
Speaking at the defender's pre-match press conference, who started against Brazil and Belgium, Pochettino said: “He took a knock on his knee.
“Today (Thursday) he was good for training and now we will see what happens tomorrow, if he can be available to be in the team or not. We need to evaluate it.”
The former Tottenham boss added: “It's bad luck because he lost his leg at the last moment of the game against Belgium.
“Now we have to fight because we need him to play for our club.”
8
Robert Sanchez – £25 million
Chelsea have announced that Spanish goalkeeper Sánchez has suffered a new setback after recently recovering from his knee injury.
A first-team player before his spell away from the ream, the former Brighton goalkeeper has been on the bench in the last two top-flight games.
Pochettino might have been tempted to return Sanchez to the lineup against Burnley, as Djordje Petrovic has failed to keep a clean sheet since January.
8
Lesley Ugochukwu – £23 million
It is not yet known when the 20-year-old midfielder will return to the field.
A hamstring problem has kept him out since the Christmas Eve loss to the Wolves.
It had been said that he would only miss six weeks, but the youngster remains out of action.
8
meat and Chukwuemeka – £20 million
In another blow for Chelsea, the midfielder was forced to withdraw from the England Under-21 squad for the Young Lions' recent Euro qualifiers.
He had only returned to the Chelsea team after being sidelined with knocks to his knee and ankle.
The 20-year-old came off the bench in the club's final game before the international break, where he scored in the 4-2 FA Cup quarter-final win over Leicester.
8
