Graham Potter confirms TWO Chelsea key players to miss Crystal Palace clash
According to Chelsea head coach Graham Potter (October 1), Chelsea players N’Golo Kante and Marc Cucurella are expected to miss Saturday’s Premier League matchup against Crystal Palace.
After suffering a hamstring injury during the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Tottenham on August 21, Kante, 31, just resumed training. In the current Premier League season, he has only started two games.
Cucurella, on the other hand, has made eight appearances for the Graham Potter coached team this season across all competitions. The left-back has missed the last two Premier League games since being acquired this summer for £62 million from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Potter was questioned about the health of his players on Friday during a press conference prior to the game. (Through Football London) He answered:
“They’re fine in terms of coming through the rehab stages and Kante has been on the grass. Maybe next week for him. A bit of illness for Marc Cucurella.”
Earlier this month, the Blues parted ways with Thomas Tuchel after 20 months in charge and appointed Potter as their new manager on a five-year deal.
Potter guided the west London outfit to a 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg at Stamford Bridge in their second UEFA Champions League Group E fixture on September 14.
When asked whether he thought his 23-day wait for his first Premier League match as Chelsea boss was either good or bad, Potter replied:
“Probably a bit of both, if I’m honest. I used a bit of time to get to know people but at the same time, we’re itching to play. We couldn’t control anything in terms of how things have panned out, we’ve had to make the most of it.”
Sharing his thoughts about the challenge ahead, he added:
“We’ve got six weeks and 13 matches, using the players the right way and winning matches in the toughest league in the world. That’s the challenge in the short term.”