The Tottenham manager, who has been hailed as “magic” during his time, has swiftly waved his magic in west London and left his mark on a previously disjointed team.
Although Mauricio Pochettino’s rebuild will surely take time, the first indications are quite encouraging, as preseason performances by recent additions Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson demonstrate.
Nevertheless, Nkunku will miss Chelsea’s 2023–24 season due to a knee injury he sustained in the team’s preseason draw against Borussia Dortmund.
When will Christopher Nkunku return from injury?
Nkunku had to leave the Chelsea friendly against Dortmund midway through the first half due to what at the time was characterized as obvious knee soreness.
Though Pochettino was a bit evasive after the game, there was first optimism that their new summer acquisition had avoided a serious problem. Nkunku suffered a rather serious knee injury, as was soon determined by additional testing. Chelsea has confirmed that the former RB Leipzig player would miss the beginning of the 2023–2024 season following surgery.
“Nkunku has sustained a knee injury which will rule the forward out for an extended period,” the club wrote.
“The 25-year-old has undergone an operation and will now begin a rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical department.”
The 25-year-old may miss up to three and a half months of activity due to what is thought to be meniscus damage to his left knee while out in Chicago. The Frenchman might not play for Chelsea until the very end of 2023, according to Chelsea fans.
Chelsea’s pre-season
Chelsea won the first-ever Premier League Summer Series in the United States, capping up an incredibly successful preseason tour.
To win the summer competition, the Blues easily defeated Fulham 2-0, drew 1-1 with Newcastle, and triumphed 4-3 against Brighton.
After that, Poch’s team stayed in the nation to play Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears. Marius Wolf gave the Germans a late lead, but Mason Burstow, then 19 years old, grabbed an equalizer in the 89th minute.
Not only have the outcomes been quite positive, but so have the performances. Even though Chelsea was a difficult team to watch in 2022–2023—Pochettino’s impact will make them more entertaining to watch the next season and beyond. The Argentine has made a noticeable difference thus far.