Mauricio Pochettino Downplays Pitch as Cause of Christopher Nkunku’s Injury in Chelsea’s Pre-Season Friendly Against Borussia Dortmund
In Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago, midfielder Christopher Nkunku suffered a knee injury. However, manager Mauricio Pochettino refused to blame the poor state of the Soldier Field pitch for the incident.
Nkunku sustained the injury during a heavy collision with Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels in the penalty area early in the first half. He was subsequently substituted after just 22 minutes and replaced by Mykhailo Mudryk.
The playing surface at Soldier Field, which hosted an Ed Sheeran concert the day before the match, was in a poor condition. This led to ball bobbles and poor touches from players on both teams. Despite this, Pochettino insisted that Nkunku’s injury was simply unfortunate and not a result of the pitch.
Speaking after the match, Pochettino said, “The doctors are checking him. Hopefully, it is not a big issue, but when he fell in the action, maybe it was a penalty. He had the chance to score. He feels something in his knee, but hopefully, it is not a big issue and he can be quick with the team. Now we need a few days to assess him, and until we get back to London, it is difficult to know.”
Pochettino also acknowledged the risks associated with playing on an imperfect pitch due to its multi-purpose use. However, he emphasized that blaming the pitch for Nkunku’s injury would be unfair. He stated, “I think it was a bit unlucky in the situation, but we cannot complain about the pitch and blame the pitch for why he suffered the injury. For me, it was bad luck.”
Despite Nkunku’s injury, Chelsea managed to salvage a draw in the match. They fell behind in the second half when Marius Wolf poked in a goal from close range after Samuel Bamba’s shot had been deflected. However, teenage striker Mason Burstow scored a looping header in the final seconds to equalize and ensure Pochettino’s young team finished their pre-season tour of the U.S. unbeaten.
Reflecting on the game, Pochettino praised his team’s performance and felt they deserved to win. He said, “I think we played a brilliant game, it was an exciting game against a very good team like Dortmund. I think we deserved to win, but it’s not about the result, it’s about the feelings and performance. When we scored with Mason at the end, it was a relief.”
Pochettino also highlighted the importance of building a strong foundation and positive feelings ahead of the upcoming Premier League competition. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s performances throughout the pre-season tour and emphasized the need to continue working and evolving their style of play.
In conclusion, while Christopher Nkunku’s knee injury during Chelsea’s pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund was unfortunate, manager Mauricio Pochettino refused to blame the poor pitch conditions at Soldier Field. He acknowledged the risks associated with playing on a multi-purpose surface but emphasized that Nkunku’s injury was a result of bad luck rather than the pitch itself. Despite the injury setback, Chelsea managed to secure a draw in the match, concluding their pre-season tour of the U.S. on an unbeaten note. Pochettino expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance and emphasized the importance of building positive feelings ahead of the upcoming Premier League competition.