Conor Gallagher issues apology after rash red card

Chelsea star Conor Gallagher issues apology after red card vs Leicester City

Conor Gallagher has issued an apology after he was sent off in the last game for Chelsea against Leicester City. Taking to Instagram, the midfielder apologised to his fans and teammates. (h/t Evening Standard)

The 22-year-old started the game with Jorginho in the middle of the park. He was in place of the injured N’Golo Kante. But the midfielder was again below par as he was sent off just after 28 minutes in the first half.

Gallagher had come under scrutiny for his performance against Leeds United last week. The England international struggled in the middle of the pitch and was ultimately substituted in the 64th minute of the game.

Proud of the team for digging deep today and winning with 10 men. Personally, I want to apologise to my teammates, staff and the fans. I take full responsibility for the rash decision leaving them with a huge challenge for the rest of the game. Thankfully, they came through.

He was first booked for a challenge on Dewsbury-Hall in the 22nd minute. Things went from bad to worse for the midfielder when he was shown his second yellow card after an unnecessary foul on Harvey Barnes in the 28th minute.

But the Blues showed determination at home. They did not sit back to earn a point but rather attacked more. Ultimately, they won the game 2-1, courtesy of a Raheem Sterling double. These were also the first official goals for the England international since making his big money move to west London.

Thomas Tuchel was also absent from the sidelines. The German coach was serving the one-match ban handed to him after his scuffle with Antonio Conte earlier in the game against Tottenham Hotspur. However, the Chelsea coach was far from pleased with Gallagher.

You can’t make the challenge if you have a yellow card after 20 or 25 minutes. The challenge was a clear yellow card and gave us a huge disadvantage. There was no reason [for Gallagher] to make this decision.

 Conor Gallagher was sent off against Leicester City. (imago Images)
Conor Gallagher was sent off against Leicester City. (imago Images)

Gallagher’s suspension leaves Tuchel with very thin options in the middle of the park. Mateo Kovacic is likely to start the next game with Jorginho. Chelsea have signed two midfield jewels in Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei. Maybe, Tuchel will consider calling one of them for the next game.

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Fans will hope that their side performs better than the last game. It remains to be seen what team Tuchel chooses to start. The Blues take on Southampton for their next game in the Premier League this Tuesday.