Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp claims Chelsea are “very unfortunate” that Christopher Nkunku picked up an injury earlier this week.
Chelsea are preparing to face rivals Liverpool this Sunday in their Premier League opener, but they’ll be without one of their stars of pre-season.
READ: Chelsea vs Liverpool: How to Watch, TV Channel UK, Team News and More
Christopher Nkunku, who completed his £52million (Sky Sports) to Stamford Bridge this summer, was scoring goals and settling quickly into Mauricio Pochettino’s new-look Blues side. However, it was confirmed that the 25-year-old attacker has suffered a significant knee problem.
Journalist Dean Jones told GiveMeSport this week that Chelsea could be without Nkunku until the New Year because of the injury sustained in a friendly match against Borussia Dortmund.
Klopp has suggested that Nkunku was in line to play a key role for Chelsea at the start of the new season:
“Nkunku was a key part of the plans. Very unfortunate for the boy and for Chelsea,” Klopp said, as quoted by Football Daily.
Our guess is that Liverpool’s boss is relieved he doesn’t have to come up against him this weekend.
In our view, Nkunku was a nailed-on starter for the league match against Liverpool.
The versatile forward was looking sharp in pre-season and showing why he arrived from RB Leipzig with such a dazzling reputation.
Many hoped the Frenchman could help solve the club’s real issue of scoring goals, but they’ll have to find a way without him in the immediate future. One sign of optimism is the way new striker Nicolas Jackson is looking.
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