This weekend, Chelsea faces a big challenge in the Premier League against league leaders Arsenal. After dropping four points in their recent games against Leeds and Burnley, they need to secure a win to stay competitive in the Champions League race. The task won’t be easy as Arsenal is currently performing well and aiming for at least one trophy this season. Ahead of the match, the manager provided an update on the injury status of key left-back Marc Cucurella.
Will Marc Cucurella Start This Weekend vs Arsenal
What Liam Rosenior Had to Say
During his pre-match press conference, the manager spoke to the media about several injured players. There was positive news regarding captain Reece James, but it was confirmed that “Cucu is not available for Sunday.” This absence means Chelsea will miss one of their key defenders against a strong Arsenal attack.
Additionally, Estevao and Jamie Gittens will also be unavailable to support the attack. This situation may require a tactical change due to Cucurella’s absence, given the lack of experience from Jorrel Hato at this level.
What This Means for Chelsea
The manager now lacks a top-performing full-back who has established himself over the past few seasons and won the Euros with Spain. Without Cucurella, Chelsea will need to find someone else to contain Bukayo Saka or another right winger.
One potential solution is to shift to a back five, possibly using Pedro Neto as a left wing-back to track back, along with a strong presence like Mamadou Sarr as a left-sided centre-back to challenge the Gunners in the air.