‘He Asked’—Chelsea to Send Key Defender for Scan Amid Injury Concern

It’s not just the result against Aston Villa that could go against Enzo Maresca.

Enzo Maresca faces an anxious wait. / Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella will reportedly undergo scans on Tuesday amid concerns he picked up a hamstring issue in Saturday’s 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa.

The Blues contrived to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at Stamford Bridge, surrendering a one-goal advantage to lose to Ollie Watkins’s second half brace. The defeat was all the more disappointing as it means Chelsea have picked up just six points from the last 18 available in the Premier League.

To make matters worse for Enzo Maresca, who is starting to being scrutinised by the club’s supporters, left back Cucurella asked to be replaced with just over 20 minutes of the contest remaining.

“He was complaining about hamstring,” Maresca confirmed postmatch in his news conference. “We don’t know if it’s an injury now or not. So he asked for the change.”

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Cucurella Doubtful to Face Bournemouth

Marc Cucurella (right) has been one of Chelsea’s top performers. / Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

The Spaniard will now be sent for scans, per The Standard, with Chelsea left sweating over the future availability of a player who has missed just two games across all competitions during 2025–26.

Cucurella has started 17 of Chelsea’s 18 Premier League games, coming off the bench in the other, and has also started five of the club’s six Champions League matches. The only respite he’s been offered has been in the Carabao Cup, but even then he’s come off the bench twice to help the Blues get through to the last four.

Were Cucurella to spend any period of time on the sidelines, his likely replacement would be summer signing Jorrel Hato—a natural centre back who is versatile enough to play on the left-hand side. The Dutchman was a star turn at Ajax and captained the side aged just 17 years and 282 days old, but he’s yet to make the same kind of impact in west London.

To that end, Hato has featured just four times in the Premier League for a total of 167 minutes—a playing percentage of just 10.3.

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Maresca: Conceding Goal Completely Altered Momentum

Enzo Maresca watched the defeat to Aston Villa from the stands. / Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Injuries to key players have disrupted Chelsea throughout the season, but recent scrutiny has focused on the club’s differing performance levels either side of half-time. Against Newcastle United at St James’ Park prior to Christmas, Chelsea were completely outplayed in the first 45 minutes and went into the interval deservedly trailing 2–0. The Blues then rallied in the second half and took home a point thanks to goals from Reece James and João Pedro.

It was a similar story against Villa, albeit in reverse. Unai Emery’s title challengers did not have a single shot on goal at Stamford Bridge in the first 45 minutes and deservedly trailed to Pedro’s close range goal. But after half-time, Villa turned things around as Chelsea sunk back into their shell.

Maresca pointed to wasted opportunities when describing what he’d seen—the Italian’s perspective coming from the stands thanks to a one-game touchline ban.

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“I think the goal we conceded for sure changed the dynamic of the game,” he mused. “I don’t know if it’s the three changes, but for sure, until the goal we conceded, we were in control. I think by the time we conceded the first goal, we should have scored two or three goals.

“And then after the goal we conceded, the game completely changed. For sure, we have to be clinical because, again, as I said, by the time they scored the goal, I think we should have scored two or three goals and the game is different. But also, it’s probably how we can improve after we concede a goal to manage the game a little bit better, probably, in terms of game after game experience, these kind of things.

“I think the goal we conceded was the turning point. Until the goal we conceded, that is around one hour, we were completely in control of the game. Again, it’s something that is not the first time that happened. And when we concede a goal, even if we are winning and we concede a goal, we struggle a little bit with the management of the game. And it’s something that for sure we need to improve.”

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