After twisting his ankle during a friendly match against New England Revolution, Ruben Loftus-Cheek may not play in Chelsea’s Europa League Final.
Limping off during a friendly game versus the Major League Soccer (MLS) side in the second half, Loftus-Cheek is a doubt for the final in Baku. His injury realised Maurizio Sarri’s worst fear. Earlier the Blues’ boss raised concerns about playing the friendly match when the final is very near.
Hobbling off the lumpy pitch of the Gillette Stadium in the second half, Loftus-Cheek puts Chelsea in jeopardy with just days before the final against Arsenal. He was a vital performer in his team’s campaign this season and with the injury, he could most likely miss the final.
Chelsea won the friendly match 3-0. They were in the United States as part of their “Say No To Anti-Semitism” campaign. The match was dubbed “Final Whistle on Hate.” It was aimed to raise awareness and money against hate and prejudice. The match was expected to raise as much as $4 million.
Ross Barkley scored the first goal just three minutes into the game. Olivier Giroud’s header doubled the Blues’ lead in the first half. Barkley cemented their lead as he added another goal in the second half.
Before leaving for Boston, Sarri had complained that the friendly was not very ideal. He cited the date of the Europa League final against Arsenal which was so close.
He further added that travelling far and returning Friday before a Sunday match is really difficult. The Italian tactician made six changes at half-time. Loftus-Cheek came out from the bench before he got injured.
No further updates were given regarding the condition of Loftus-Cheek.
