Chelsea Confirm ‘Unfortunate’ Injury Blow After Leeds Draw

The Blues have time to address their latest blow before a crunch trip to Arsenal.

Liam Rosenior is faced with a significant issue. | Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior confirmed Marc Cucurella had to be withdrawn during Tuesday’s 2–2 draw with Leeds United because of a hamstring injury.

The left back did not emerge for the second half of the game, with Jorrel Hato coming off the bench as his replacement. There had been no sign of injury for Cucurella up to that point, leaving fans questioning the substitution.

“Unfortunately, at half-time, he felt his hamstring,” Rosenior confirmed after the final whistle. “It wasn’t a tactical change. It was one that was enforced and Cucu’s been top and hopefully he’ll be O.K.

“We’ll scan him and make sure we find out if he’s available for the next game.”

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The Games Marc Cucurella Could Miss for Chelsea

Marc Cucurella may need time on the sidelines. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Rosenior will join fans in eagerly awaiting the verdict of Cucurella’s medical checks, hoping that the Spain international will not need a significant spell on the sidelines. Considering there were no signs of injury, there appears to be reason for optimism.

Next up for Chelsea is a trip to face Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday. That fixture will almost certainly come too soon for Cucurella, although he would most likely have been rested for the game against the Championship promotion hopefuls anyway.

An eight-day break following that game may give Cucurella the chance to return if his injury is only minor. Thankfully, the fixture list has been kind to Chelsea, who play host to Burnley on Feb. 21. There are no easy games in the Premier League, but the visitors currently sit 19th in the standings and are the sort of opponent Chelsea will expect to beat even without a player of Cucurella’s influence.

The biggest concern comes after that fixture. Chelsea are due to travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal on March 1 and have a meeting with Aston Villa three days later—two games which could have huge impacts on both the Premier League title race and the battle for Champions League qualification.

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Chelsea’s Next Five Games

Fixture	Date
Hull City (A)	Feb. 13
Burnley (H)	Feb. 21
Arsenal (A)	March 1
Aston Villa (A)	March 4
Newcastle (H)	March 14

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How Can Chelsea Replace Marc Cucurella?

Jorrel Hato (right) replaced Cucurella against Leeds. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Cucurella was Chelsea’s only senior left back for the second half of last season after the disgruntled Renato Veiga left in January 2025. Finding reliable cover for the Spaniard was a priority of the summer transfer window and the Blues recruitment chiefs landed on Hato.

The versatile 19-year-old was called on to replace Cucurella against Leeds and now seems primed for a run in the starting lineup—the first significant opportunity of his Chelsea tenure so far after being forced to remain patient over the first half of the season.

If Rosenior wants to keep rotating his options, it is likely that right back Malo Gusto will be needed on the left. The Frenchman played on his opposite side as cover for Cucurella last season under Enzo Maresca, although his availability may depend on Reece James’s ongoing battle with injury and illness.

Options in the academy are limited—left back is a position in which Chelsea’s youth sides have struggled in recent years—but 18-year-old Arizona-born Landon Emenalo would appear to be first in line for a call-up.

Emenalo, son of former Blues technical director Michael, is still awaiting his senior debut but has appeared on the bench twice this season, including under Rosenior against Pafos in the Champions League.

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