Mykhailo Mudryk, a key member of Chelsea, was absent from practice on Wednesday as the Blues stepped up their preparations for their match against Luton Town on Friday.
The Ukrainian international made an appearance off the bench against West Ham over the weekend, displaying encouraging signs to justify the significant transfer sum attached to his acquisition. While there are still concerns about the winger’s attempted finishing, there were moments when his crosses were intercepted or missed by a small margin.
There were expectations that the 22-year-old, who struggled after the January move, would be able to regain his best form. He struggled with a lack of match fitness, which would ideally be resolved by a full preseason, albeit Mauricio Pochettino has yet to give him a start.
His absence from practise may have surprised some people a little bit because, according to Sky Sports, he was one of the players who wasn’t involved on Wednesday morning. It will be interesting to see if that is due to a fear about an injury, a precaution, or any other cause before the third game of the season.
Pochettino is encouraged by two potential returns in defender Benoit Badiashile and attacker Armando Broja. The former is making a comeback after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear late in the previous season that cruelly forced him to miss the rest of the season.
The Cobham academy alum has been spotted back in the gym, but given his significant injury, it’s unlikely that he will return to duty right away. The head coach also gave a hint that Broja was in his long-term plans when he said that a new striker shouldn’t impede on his progress.
With regard to Badiashile, the defender made an impression after coming in January, but injury problems at the close of the regular season carried over into the preseason and kept him out for several months. The center-back is doing some ball work on the grass to get back in shape, and the club confirmed that a return to practise is also planned.
In all, Pochettino will be hopeful that the end of a mini injury crisis is coming towards an end in the next few weeks, though there still remains doubt over Mudryk’s recent absence.