Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said he and his team are trying to help Christian Pulisic avoid injuries as he believes the winger’s playstyle makes him more susceptible to muscle-related problems.
The American had to pull out from the starting line-up against Burnley on Wednesday after suffering an injury during the warm-up session.
Fortunately, during his press conference on Tuesday, Lampard confirmed that it was only a minor injury and Pulisic has now returned to training, although the winger would not be available for tomorrow’s Champions League group match against Rennes.
“It’s a relief for the injury to be on the small side, of course, and it felt that way to Christian,” he added (via Chelsea’s official website).
“He made the right decision to pull out against Burnley.
“We are pleased it’s not a serious injury and we hope to have him back very soon, because he’s an important player for us.”
Pulisic’s injury record has understandably raised some concerns among the fans.
According to Transfermarkt, Pulisic has missed out on nine games already this season due to injuries — and 22 games since his Chelsea arrival last year.
Lampard argued the worrying injury record might have had to do with how Pulisic plays and said the Chelsea coaching team is trying to find a way to minimise the injury risk.
“Muscle injuries are things you have to be careful with and some players who play on the edge and have speed could be more susceptible to them.
“We are looking at ways to manage Christian, we are all working in the same direction on that front.
“We all know the talent he has and he’s a very important player for us.”
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