Chelsea face further injury setback | OneFootball

Chelsea Midfield Blow as Essugo Sidelined Until 2026

Chelsea’s Injury Concerns Deepen

Chelsea’s hopes of easing the workload on Moises Caicedo have been hit hard with confirmation that Dario Essugo faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Athletic reports that the 20-year-old midfielder, who joined from Sporting CP for £18.5 million, has undergone surgery on a thigh injury suffered while on duty with Portugal’s under-21 squad.

Chelsea fear Essugo will be out for a minimum of 12 weeks, putting his return date close to 2026. For a player brought in to add depth and rotation to the midfield, this is a serious setback. Essugo has made just three appearances for the club so far, all coming in the FIFA Club World Cup.

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Impact on Midfield Planning

One of the key reasons Chelsea secured Essugo was to share the burden on, whose minutes need careful management. That plan is now on hold. “It’s frustrating to start the season like this, but I truly believe everything happens for a reason. I’ll be back stronger,” Essugo wrote on Instagram, underlining his determination to return.

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Wider Injury Picture

Essugo’s absence adds to a growing list of problems at Stamford Bridge. Defender Levi Colwill is recovering from an ACL injury sustained in pre-season, likely ruling him out for most of the campaign. Striker Liam Delap will not be back until November following a hamstring injury against Fulham.

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Chelsea have recalled Deivid Washington from his loan spell at Santos, but despite several transfer windows still open in Turkey and Greece, there are currently no plans to loan him back out.

Squad Depth Tested

With three significant absences early in the campaign, Chelsea’s squad depth will be tested across multiple competitions. The challenge for the coaching staff will be finding the right balance to avoid overburdening senior players in a season that is already packed with fixtures.

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Dario Essugo was supposed to be part of Chelsea’s solution to prevent burnout in midfield and offer a long-term succession plan alongside Caicedo and Enzo Fernández. To see him ruled out until near 2026 after just three appearances feels like another frustrating chapter in Chelsea’s ongoing injury woes.

The timing could hardly be worse. With Colwill also sidelined for most of the season and Liam Delap unavailable until November, the squad already feels stretched. It raises questions over whether the recruitment team did enough in the summer to ensure adequate depth, particularly in central areas where games can be won or lost.

There is pride in Essugo’s commitment to recover and come back stronger, but the worry is how Chelsea will cope in his absence. More minutes for Caicedo might risk fatigue or injury later in the campaign, and fans will be hoping for either an internal solution or a January signing to cover the gap. This could be the moment when academy players are given more opportunities, but at this level, mistakes can be costly.