October 03, (THEWILL) – Chelsea boss, Mauricio Pochettino, has moved to calm fears that recent big-money signings, Mykhailo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo, could face spells on the sidelines. The duo both picked up injuries during the Blues’ vital 2-1 Premier League win over local rivals Fulham on Monday night.
Ukraine winger Mudryk, a £100m January arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk, scored his first Chelsea goal to open the scoring. However, he was replaced at halftime after suffering a quad issue. Ecuador midfielder Caicedo, who only joined from Brighton last month for £115m, later hobbled off in stoppage time with a contusion.
Speaking after the match, Pochettino expressed hope that Mudryk’s problem is “not a big issue” and that he will be available for this weekend’s clash with Burnley. The Chelsea manager explained that the 22-year-old “didn’t feel comfortable playing” after feeling something in his quad in the first half.
Both rising stars have struggled to justify their hefty price tags since arriving at Stamford Bridge. But Pochettino has urged patience, stressing that adapting to a new team and league takes time. With Chelsea still rebuilding, he believes consistency and maturity will come.
For now, the priority will be getting Mudryk and Caicedo back to fitness. Their injuries did little to dampen an important derby victory that finally ended Chelsea’s long run without beating a team above them.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
