Captain of Chelsea, Cesar Azpilicueta, is in the hospital following a severe head injury sustained during Saturday’s Premier League loss to Southampton.
After being struck in the face by Saints striker Sekou Mara, the veteran defender needed to be given oxygen on the field during a protracted stoppage before being taken off on a stretcher at Stamford Bridge.
After the game, Graham Potter’s team lost 1-0, and the Blues manager provided an update on the Spaniard.
He is in the hospital. He is talking to his wife and is conscious. We’re keeping an eye on him and hopefully he’s in the best place,” the former Brighton manager remarked.
“He needs to take all the precautions we need to take now.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga, the goalkeeper for Chelsea, also confirmed his teammate’s well-being in a post-match interview with Premier League Productions.
However, the 33-year-old is undoubtedly a serious doubt for Tottenham’s London derby the following weekend.
Potter’s team has only won one of their last eight Premier League games and one of their last ten games overall, so his injury is just more bad news for the Blues.
Ben Hayward is FourFourTwo’s Weekend Editor. With more than 15 years of experience covering football matches across Europe, including three World Cups, multiple Champions League finals, the Euros, and Copa América, he has primarily covered European matches in Spain. At the moment, he splits his time between London and Barcelona.
