Marc Cucurella remains a major fitness concern for Chelsea as they prepare to face Arsenal away from home this week.
The Spain international has been one of the Blues’ most important defensive players since his £60 million move from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022, establishing himself as a reliable and dynamic left-back.
However, Chelsea have been without their curly-locked full-back since the 2-2 draw against Leeds United. Cucurella has also sat out the club’s 4-0 FA Cup victory over Hull City and the frustrating 1-1 Premier League draw with Burnley.
With Chelsea desperate to return to winning ways in the league, they will likely have to make do without their first-choice left-back once again.
“I can’t give an exact timeframe on Marc,” head coach Liam Rosenior told reporters in his pre-match press conference. “He suffered a hamstring injury just before half-time in the Leeds game. It’s a real shame because he’s an outstanding player, and one of the best left-backs in the world.”
Rosenior confirmed the club will have to wait a little longer for Cucurella’s return, but expressed confidence in the squad’s depth.
“It’s a shame not to have Marc available but we have Jorrel Hato and Malo Gusto who can play on that side, so we have really good players that can cover,” he added. “Of course, the sooner Marc gets back, the better.”
This is the Spaniard’s second hamstring problem of the season. He previously missed two matches with a similar issue around the festive period. Prior to that, his last significant absence came after ankle surgery in December 2023, which sidelined him for around 10 weeks — the longest lay-off of his career.
Since joining Chelsea in 2022, Cucurella has made 148 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists.
Chelsea will now hope their deputy options can step up and help secure a positive result at the Emirates Stadium.