Chelsea Injury News: Chelsea’s pre-season ended with a 3-3 draw against Johor Darul Ta’zim, but the main concern came in defence. Standard Sport’s Tashan Deniran-Alleyne reported that Mamadou Sarr withdrew during the warm-up, leaving Xabi Alonso to change his defence before kick-off. Then came another setback.
After 29 minutes, Aaron Anselmino went down with a hamstring problem. He received treatment before leaving in tears, with Reggie Watson replacing him. Chelsea had therefore lost two defenders before the interval. Chalobah had just completed his move to Como. Reuters reported a five-year deal following his 47 appearances for Chelsea last season.
Chelsea Injury News puts focus on Sarr
Sarr returned from Strasbourg after a useful spell in France. He made 15 Ligue 1 appearances, played 1,305 minutes and posted a 94 per cent passing rate before his February recall. He then made three Premier League appearances and featured once in the Champions League.
That record explains Alonso’s interest. Sarr can move the ball cleanly and has experience of senior football, but three Premier League cameos hardly prove his readiness for a full campaign at Chelsea. The injury arrives at a rotten time for a player seeking Alonso’s plans. Chelsea had been considering another loan for the 20-year-old. That plan now needs medical advice first.
Chelsea Injury News leaves Anselmino in limbo
Anselmino’s situation looks more troubling. He spent the first half of 2025/26 at Borussia Dortmund and made 10 appearances in all competitions, including six Bundesliga matches and three Champions League outings. He scored once against Bayer Leverkusen before Chelsea recalled him in January.
Bundesliga records noted two significant injury absences, including a thigh problem. Another hamstring issue makes that history especially frustrating. At 21, Anselmino has time, yet Alonso needs defenders who can train regularly. A further loan had been considered for him, while Sarr faced a similar decision. Those plans could now be paused until Chelsea know the damage.
Chalobah’s departure matters here. Chelsea still have Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo and Maxence Lacroix, but Alonso has lost an experienced squad player while two developing defenders have suffered setbacks.
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No return date exists yet at this stage. Chelsea need scans and medical assessments before anyone can put a timetable on either player. Alonso simply needs fit defenders in training, and two have disappeared from his immediate plans.
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