Exclusive: Joao Pedro injury update as Chelsea striker sees knee specialist | OneFootball

Striker is sidelined with a knee injury and Chelsea are hoping for a swift return

Joao Pedro has been receiving treatment from a specialist for his knee injury during the international break.

The Chelsea striker was called up to the Brazil national team earlier this month but had to withdraw due to a knee injury that kept him out of the Blues’ 3-0 defeat at Brentford in their final match before the international break.

Reports in Brazil at the time suggested that Joao Pedro was expected to sidelined for up to four weeks.

And Standard Sport understands that the 25-year-old has been seeing a specialist in London over the international break in an attempt to try to speed up his return to the pitch.

Chelsea players not involved for their national teams have been handed days off over the international window, and that has allowed Joao Pedro to receive medical treatment from a specialist as well as be monitored closely by the club’s in-house medical staff.

Joao Pedro

Getty Images

Joao Pedro felt discomfort in the days after the 2-2 draw with Hull City on September 12, but there was hope at Chelsea that the striker could face Brentford six days later, only to later be ruled out.

It remains unclear when Joao Pedro will return for Chelsea, though the expectation is that the injury is not long-term and no decision has yet been made over his involvement against Bournemouth on October 10.

The striker has struck up a strong attacking chemistry with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers in the early weeks of the season and Chelsea are relying on the trio to spearhead their attacking during Xabi Alonso’s first campaign in charge.

Reece James (England) and Moises Caicedo (Ecuador) have also missed the international break, while Cole Palmer was initially called up for England but withdrew last Monday.

Palmer has muscular “pain and discomfort”, according to England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who admitted the 24-year-old misses too many camps but maintained he has a genuine injury rather than merely dropping out due to load management.