Chelsea’s Pulisic out for six weeks, could miss start of EPL

Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic faces six weeks out with a right hamstring injury that could see him miss the start of the English Premier League.

The American was injured last Saturday in the 2-1 loss to Arsenal in the FA Cup final after scoring at Wembley Stadium.

“With Christian Pulisic I think it’s going to be touch and go for the start of the season,” Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said on Friday.

“We’re probably looking around a six-week injury. So with six weeks, doing the maths, it gets very close to, and is probably into, the start of the new season. But we have to treat it right, the injury.”

The season is due to begin on Sept. 12. Pulisic had 11 goals and eight assists in his first season at Chelsea after joining from Borussia Dortmund.

“In the big scheme of things with Christian, when he reflects on his first season, the improvement levels coming here when you think of the goals and assists he’s had this year, it’s the best of his career,” Lampard said.

“And that’s his first year in the Premier League. From where he’s gone at the start to how he’s ended up and how he has played in the restart, he should be very happy, and that’s down to his work.

“So we’ll get him fit, and get him ready. If he misses the first one or two games of the season, then we’ll have a firing Christian hopefully as hungry as he looked for the restart.”

Chelsea’s season continues in the Champions League, with the London club trying to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Bayern Munich in the pandemic-delayed round of 16 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Lampard said he is unsure if Brazilian winger Willian will remain at the English Premier League soccer club next season but expects no bitterness from both parties if he does depart.

British media has reported that Willian is on the verge of joining Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal on a three-year deal after his current employers only offered him a two-year extension which left him disappointed.

The 31-year-old Willian’s contract expires at the end of Chelsea’s Champions League campaign. Lampard’s side took on Bayern Munich in the last-16 second-leg on Saturday, a game Willian missed due to an ankle injury.

“I haven’t got an answer” about whether Willian will leave, “because Willian remains our player at the moment. It actually doesn’t matter about disappointment from any party in this situation,” Lampard told reporters.

“Certainly as a club we have done everything we can to explain to Willian, and mine and his relationship is close. I’d have no feeling of disappointment if he does move on.

“I’ve played with him, coached him, he’s a fantastic man and a fantastic player. He’ll feel like that about Chelsea... But I don’t want anyone to try and find a negative attitude, because the club have acted very well in this as well.”

Willian has scored 63 goals and provided 62 assists in 339 appearances for Chelsea since his arrival from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013.

Agencies