Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that Robert Sanchez is set to be out for an uncertain period after the goalkeeper was forced to leave the field during the Blues’ resounding 3-0 loss against Everton earlier this month.
Sanchez sustained the injury during Chelsea’s trip to Old Trafford on December 7 but he went on to play against Everton through pain and eventually had to leave the field in the 67th minute.
The 26-year-old underwent multiple medical tests but the date of his return is yet to be established.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Newcastle, Pochettino confirmed that Sanchez will be out for a few weeks while saying he does not know the exact timeline yet.
“It is an injury that’s going to be for a few weeks, I don’t know if two, three, four, five or six,” the Argentinian said. “We will assess day-by-day to know how to follow it. His recovery will depend on him and the reaction of his knee and it is difficult to say in two or three weeks but we hope [he is back] as soon as possible."
The Blues are also assessing their captain Reece James’ injury extent after the right-back left the field in pain against Everton in the 19th minute.
Chelsea managed to beat Sheffield United during the weekend courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
It is worth mentioning that Chelsea signed 13 players during the summer but Pochettino has struggled to get his side to play a consistent brand of football. They still only have six wins and seven losses in 17 matches in the league this season.
While the win over Sheffield was a positive step, Chelsea need to build on this momentum to establish a winning streak. With aspirations for European football by the end of the season, Pochettino and his squad need to address the issues that have hindered their consistency so far.