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Chelsea will not have Dario Essugo available to cover Moises Caicedo after midfielder suffers setback https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6856038/2025/12/02/dario-essugo-Chelsea-injury-return/ Chelsea midfielder Dario Essugo has been ruled out of three more Premier League games at the very least after suffering a setback in training on Monday. Essugo, who completed a £18.5million ($24.4m) move from Sporting CP in June, has already been sidelined for over two months due to sustaining a thigh injury while away with Portugal Under-21s. The 20-year-old underwent surgery to help cure the problem but there was optimism he would soon be available for selection again after training with the senior side for the first time last week. However, head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed the player’s return is going to have to wait. “For sure, he is not available for the next three (league) games,” Maresca said at a press conference. “We need to check him. Is it serious? I don’t think so. Unfortunately, it was just yesterday (Monday) so I don’t know (how bad a setback it is).” What You Should Read Next Chelsea Transfer DealSheet: What to expect in 2026 Chelsea were the Premier League's busiest team in the summer window One of the reasons Chelsea signed Essugo was to help provide cover for Moises Caicedo. The latter is suspended for the league games at Leeds (Wednesday night), Bournemouth (on Saturday) and against Everton on December 15 at Stamford Bridge after being sent off for a bad challenge on Arsenal’s Mikel Merino on Sunday. Asked about coping without Caicedo, Maresca added: “It’s always harder without Moises, Cole Palmer (played just four times this season) and Levi Colwill (expected to miss most of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee). There are many players. But we will try and find different solutions.” By Simon Johnson Chelsea Correspondent

Enzo Fernandez says he received ‘unwavering support’ from Chelsea after racist France chant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6854688/2025/12/02/enzo-fernandez-Chelsea-france-argentina-chant/ Enzo Fernandez said he received “unwavering support” from the Chelsea squad during the fallout from the video of him and his Argentina team-mates singing a racist chant about the France national side in July 2024. Fernandez posted a video of the song on social media after Argentina’s 2024 Copa America final victory over Colombia, with the French Football Federation (FFF) describing the chant as “unacceptable, racist and discriminatory”. Fernandez’s Chelsea team-mate and France international Wesley Fofana accused members of the Argentina squad of “uninhibited racism”. Fernandez, 24, said he cancelled his holiday to apologise in person to the Chelsea squad at their pre-season tour in the United States and added that the incident strengthened his relationship with his club team-mates. He went on to captain Chelsea in their opening Premier League match of the 2024-25 campaign the following month in the absence of Reece James. The midfielder issued an apology on social media in July 2024 but, speaking publicly about the video for the first time, the Argentina international told GiveMeSport: “The club has always shown faith in me and I’m grateful for that because I was given the captain’s armband at a tough time, but that shows a lot about me and what I mean to the club and my team-mates who showed faith in me from the start. “Regardless of what happened, the support was unwavering and they (Chelsea) showed their faith in me, so I’m ever so grateful to them for that.” What You Should Read Next Chelsea and the Enzo Fernandez fallout: Anger, apologies and investigations The song Enzo Fernandez streamed on social media after Argentina's Copa America victory win has caused fallout at Chelsea Fernandez explained that during his apology to the Chelsea squad he emphasised he was not “the type to discriminate or judge others”. He insisted the harmony in the dressing room was not impacted by the incident and said he had a “very good” relationship with his French team-mates. Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout in the 2022 World Cup final, with some fans of the South American side singing a chant ahead of that match referencing how many France players were of African heritage and were first- or second-generation immigrants in the European nation. The words to the chant were: “They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says French.” The FFF said it would file a legal complaint in the aftermath of the incident, while UK anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out called for action from governing bodies and clubs. Asked what he learnt from that period in 2024, Fernandez said he “suffered” and described it as a “really hard time for me personally”. By Ali Rampling Deputy News Editor

Essugo has got Lavia disease

Enzo Maresca on Dário Essugo: “Essugo is not available for the next THREE games. We need to check him, as he had a setback yesterday. “Unfortunately, it was just yesterday, so I don’t know how serious it is.” (@LloydCanfield)

Good for us.

2 2 FT jammy spuds

1 1

Kind of crazy how poor City look at the back considering the players they have across the back and in net.

1 nil NUFC

what a game!

damn 4 5 FT

goal line clearance or it would be 5 5

weak foul call on Kevin

8 minutes added time

only once in EPL history has a team ever came from 4 goals down to draw or win 2011 Newcastle came from 4 down to draw with Arse

last time there were 10 goals was in 2013 Manure v West Brom 5 5 draw Fergie's last game

only 6 EPL matches ever had had more goals than this all time record is 11 Pompey v Reading

Citeh's defence is so dodgy without a fully fit Rodri

Peps face

4 5

4 5!

3 5 now crazy game

Håland has hit the post/bar 3 times now