By Daily Sports on December 31, 2018

Maurizio Sarri said that mounting injuries have left Chelsea “in trouble” after Olivier Giroud suffered suspected ankle ligament damage during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Giroud left the field on crutches in the 76th minute after being injured by a James Tomkins tackle, while scoring an offside goal. Chelsea held onto the lead given to them by N’Golo Kante’s earlier strike to move five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal.

Sarri was forced to leave Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Callum Hudson-Odoi out of his squad for the game due to injury, and may now be without Giroud for several weeks with Chelsea’s workload showing no sign of easing in a busy January.

“The problem is his ankle,” Chelsea boss Sarri said of Giroud. “I don’t know the severity. We have to wait for [Monday]. I think that, later in the evening, I will see the doctor for the first results, but I think the real result will only be known [on Monday].

“In the last few days we were a bit unlucky. Yesterday [Saturday], in 10 minutes we had three injuries – Fabregas, [Loftus-Cheek] and [Danny] Drinkwater – then Giroud, and we were already without Pedro and [Hudson-Odoi].

“We are in trouble because, in January, we have to play every three days. Fabregas has a neck problem. The injury was in the last five minutes of training, so I'm not sure whether he has to rest for two or 10 days. I will have a meeting with the doctor this evening.”

Chelsea laboured for long spells against a disciplined but relatively unambitious Palace side, hitting the post twice in the first half from Willian’s curling free kick and Ross Barkley’s overhead kick from a corner. Eden Hazard, restored to the left wing with Giroud leading the line, struggled to make an impact.

“I think that we played a very good match for 85 minutes,” Sarri said. “We were in full control of the match. But we didn’t kill the match and so, for us, it’s very difficult to defend in the box in the last five minutes.” (ESPN)

•Photo shows Chelsea striker, Oliver Giroud 

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 31, 2018

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