Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens is facing a long time on the sidelines after the 21-year-old suffered a hamstring tear during last weekend’s Premier League win over West Ham United, manager Liam Rosenior said on Thursday.
The latest injury blow came as Chelsea, whose five-match winning streak ended in Tuesday’s loss to Arsenal in the League Cup semi-finals, look to shrug off the setback in their next Premier League game at bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“Jamie, he’s looking a little bit more long-term. It’s a real shame for him. He’s got a tear in his hamstring. I have not worked with him for too long,” Rosenior told reporters on Thursday.
“Obviously, I know about his career and what an outstanding player he is. So that’s going to be a big miss for us.”
Left winger Gittens is one of eight Chelsea players out due to injury issues, including forward Pedro Neto, and midfielders Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia.
Chelsea have won their last three Premier League matches to move up to fifth, and progressed to the Champions League’s round of 16, before the setback against Arsenal.
Rosenior said the Chelsea players had responded positively to the loss.
“The lads were devastated, and rightfully so, after the game in the dressing room. But I’ve spoken to them. You get setbacks in life. It’s how you respond,” Rosenior said.
“The response in training today and in the meetings that we’ve had has been really positive. We have to now focus on the future, which is Wolves on Saturday.”