Chelsea were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday after the penalty shootout loss to Liverpool at Anfield. To make matters worse for the Blues, the defender who has played more Premier League minutes than anyone else in Xabi Alonso’s squad hobbled off due to an injury.
Maxence Lacroix pulled up shortly after Cody Gakpo’s 43rd-minute penalty had levelled the fourth-round tie. Chelsea had led through Morgan Rogers’ 40th-minute spot-kick, won when Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moises Caicedo, before Wesley Fofana’s handball from a corner allowed Gakpo to equalise.
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Lacroix had already made one recovery run to deny Gakpo an early shooting chance; the second attempt ended with him going down, holding the back of his left thigh. The Frenchman received treatment and was replaced by Levi Colwill at the end of the first half.
Alonso was careful not to put a timescale on the problem. He said about the injury:
“Too early to tell. Probably he felt something on the hamstrings. And we need a couple of days to check what’s going to be the injury.”
Lacroix, 26, arrived from Crystal Palace in the summer and has started in seven out of eight Premier League games for Chelsea this season. The centre-back was not the only player from his team to leave early. Caicedo and Malo Gusto were both withdrawn on 68 minutes.
Alonso said afterwards that Caicedo had felt a minor problem while Gusto had cramp, adding that the changes had been forced on him.
Chelsea will now shift their attention to the Premier League game against Manchester United on Saturday. It remains to be seen if Lacroix is cleared fit to play the game.
Chelsea’s injury list grows again, with Joao Pedro still weeks away from return
Lacroix’s problem lands on top of a crowded treatment room at Cobham. Joao Pedro, Chelsea’s leading scorer with five goals and three assists, has been ruled out for a few weeks with a thigh injury picked up in training the day before the 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham.
Notably, the Blues have lost both Premier League games Pedro has missed this season, while also failing to score in them.
Reece James is not expected back until around January after knee surgery, while Jamie Gittens is recovering from an ankle injury. Emmanuel Emegha, who made his debut for the club at Anfield, had only just returned from a hamstring problem of his own.
Cole Palmer, however, is expected to be back against Manchester United after serving his suspension in the loss at Anfield.
Edited by Nived Zenith
