Klopp's warning, Maresca's choice

Chelsea entered this season with a total of six centre-backs on their Premier League roster - a lot indeed.

Chelsea's center-back Acheampong (left) before being injured and having to leave the field - Photo: REUTERS

But then in the match against Liverpool in round 7 of the Premier League, they had no one left to replace in the second half, so much so that they had to pull a central midfielder (Lavia) and a full-back (Hato) into the center of defense.

Chelsea's injury storm

Before the match, Chelsea lost 4 central defenders including Colwill, Tosin, Fofana and Chalobah. Except for Chalobah - who was suspended, the remaining 4 were injured and even had long-term injuries. Coach Maresca was forced to use the last central defender pair in his options, Badiashile - Acheampong. But then by mid-match, both were injured.

Including other positions (like Palmer), Chelsea have suffered nine injuries this season, a staggering number considering the season is not even two months old.

Chelsea are not the only team struggling with a long injury list from the start of the season. In midweek, PSG faced Barca with a crippled squad, missing half of the key players who helped them dominate Europe last season. Specifically, PSG were without Dembele, Doue, Kvaratskhelia (the entire starting striker), Neves and Marquinhos. Not to mention Vitinha, who had just returned from injury.

Unlike Chelsea, PSG play in Ligue 1 - a league so uncompetitive they have always dominated even with their substitutes on a weekly basis. But PSG have not been immune to injuries after a busy summer.

They reached the FIFA Club World Cup final after playing all 7 matches in the tournament. And including the 2024-2025 season, PSG had to plow through a total of 65 matches in all competitions. The corresponding figure for Chelsea - who also reached the FIFA Club World Cup final - was only slightly less, 64 matches.

But those numbers still don’t reflect the full extent of the torture that PSG and Chelsea stars have to go through. Remember that last summer, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Palmer also participated in national team tournaments such as Euro and Copa America. Before that, they also worked for 9 months with their clubs, then played Euro/Copa America, then entered the club season.

Palmer is one of the players who was exiled on many fronts - Photo: REUTERS

The stars have no summer

Normally, in odd years, star players have the most comfortable rest time because there are no big tournaments like the World Cup or Euro. But with the presence of the FIFA Club World Cup, the concept of "leisurely summer" is no longer for the stars. That is completely true with the opinion of coach Jurgen Klopp that today's football stars no longer have a single day off.

The German strategist has repeatedly criticized FIFA and UEFA for indiscriminately increasing and expanding tournaments without paying attention to the health of players. In response, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin coldly said that players have to play a lot because they are paid a lot.

But that is purely an excuse. Mr. Ceferin needs to know that, in boxing, the world associations must constantly improve the rules of the game, creating safe boundaries to ensure the lives of athletes. Even from the fans' perspective, they will like bloodier, more violent matches. The more blood, the more money. But everything has its limits.

In fact, both Acheampong and Badiashile only suffered minor injuries in Chelsea's win over Liverpool. In theory, they could have gritted their teeth and played the whole match. But coach Maresca was forced to make a humane decision: accept substituting unfit players, to keep his players within the health safety range. In that situation, Mr. Ceferin will not be able to bring up the issue of salaries anymore.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/canh-bao-cua-klopp-lua-chon-cua-maresca-20251006082304514.htm