Chelsea has lost a key player as they prepare to return to the Premier League. The World Cup final is set for a week from Sunday, which means the Premier League is on its way back.
In preparation, most teams have begun to play friendly games for players who did not qualify for the World Cup or who have already been eliminated.
Chelsea is one such team, and they are currently competing in Abu Dhabi against Aston Villa.
At the time of writing, the Blues are trailing 1-0 thanks to a John McGinn goal.
To make matters worse, Graham Potter’s team has suffered a significant injury setback.
Armando Broja started up top against Aston Villa but was forced off after 45 minutes.
According to football.london, the striker was in a lot of pain when he went down and had to be stretchered away:
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“Armando Broja screams in pain after collapsing.” He’s holding his knee. I hope it’s not as bad as it appears and sounds.”
If Broja’s injury is as serious as it appears, he could miss a significant portion of the remaining games this season.
This would leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the club’s sole natural striker.
With the January transfer window approaching, Chelsea may be forced to look for a replacement.