Cesar Azpilicueta injury: Chelsea captain offers promising update
By Tom Gott
Cesar Azpilicueta has reassured Chelsea fans that he will be back in action soon following his scary head injury in the 1-0 defeat to Southampton.
The Blues defender was caught flush in the face by the boot of striker Sekou Mara as the Southampton man attempted an overhead kick, and there was immediate concern for his welfare before he was stretchered off and taken to hospital.
Azpilicueta was seen waving to fans as he left the pitch, alleviating fears of a serious injury, and the Spaniard has now continued the positive updates.
"Thank you all for your love and messages of support!" he wrote on Twitter, alongside a picture of him smiling.
"My family and I would like to thank everyone who has been looking after me since [Saturday's] incident.
"From the Chelsea medical team, to teammates and opponents, to St Mary’s and Cleveland Hospital and all staff members and doctors: a massive thank you from the bottom of my heart.
"Now, time to recover and I will see you soon on the pitch!"
On this edition of Son of Chelsea, part of the 90min podcast network, Daniel Childs discusses the defeat to Southampton and what it could mean for the future of Graham Potter.
If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
In a further injection of optimism, the Evening Standard note that Azpilicueta has not broken any bones and is instead expected to be assessed for a concussion ahead of his return to action.
Per the FA's concussion rules, players are permitted to return to action six days after being diagnosed with a concussion, assuming they pass all medical checks prior to the comeback.
Chelsea travel to face Tottenham next Sunday, eight days after the injury, although it's highly unlikely that the veteran defender will be rushed back into action.