Cesc Fabregas will not feature for Chelsea against former club Arsenal as he deals with a “very unusual” injury, but Mateo Kovacic could make his debut, head coach Maurizio Sarri said on Friday.
The Spain international remains unavailable but Kovacic is likely to be on the bench, though Sarri said he is some way short of peak fitness.
“Fabregas is out for this match. I hope he will be able to be on the pitch [training] next week. I’m not sure,” Sarri said. “[It’s] nothing serious, but he has a very unusual injury. [It’s] nothing serious, but he has a pain, not in the knee… near the knee. But not in the knee.”
On the subject of Kovacic, he added: “I think Mateo will be very useful for us. He’s a very technical player. In this moment, he has to work. I think he’s not ready now for 90 minutes, but maybe, tomorrow, for the first 30 or the last 30 minutes he could be used.
“I expect a lot from him because, for me, he’s a very great player. In my opinion, he can improve more. I think he can play in any of the three positions in midfield. He’s a very good offensive player, but he has improved in the defensive phase in the last two years in Madrid.”
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