Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel gives Edouard Mendy injury update before Champions League final showdown
Speaking after Chelsea lost to Aston Villa on Sunday (h/t football.london), Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel gave an injury update on Edouard Mendy and revealed that he injured his ribs in trying to save the first goal.
The Blues went to Villa Park knowing that a win would guarantee a place in the top 4 while failing to secure all three points could mean a 5th-placed finish. Summer signing Edouard Mendy has been a revelation since coming in.
The Frenchman was signed from Stade Rennais by Frank Lampard in order to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga and he started between the goalposts once again this weekend.
An anxious wait
However, things went awry for him and Chelsea went Bertrand Traore scored a freak goal to make it 1-0 in the 43rd-minute. Mendy collided with the post when trying to save it, and Tuchel has revealed that he hurt his rub while trying to make the save.
“It is easy to explain, he fell into the frame of the net. He feels a big pain in his ribs. We will have an update tomorrow with what’s going on. We will see if it is possible [that Mendy will be fit for the Champions League] and if it is possible, we will push to do everything so he is in goal on Saturday.”
As the gaffer himself noted above, it is important that the Senegalese stopper starts for Chelsea against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. Kepa has not been getting regular gametime and is known to be error-prone at times.
Mendy, on the other hand, has the second most clean sheets in the league this season with 16, just 3 behind Golden Glove winner, Ederson. More will be known in the coming days.
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But for Blues fans, it will be an anxious wait. Even if Chelsea do lose the final, they will make the UCL next season due to their top 4 finish- but the former PSG manager would want to make sure that the Blues get to lift silverware this season too.