Premier League: Chelsea suffer ‘unfortunate’ Injury setback after Leeds draw

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Marc Cucurella was substituted during the 2-2 draw with Leeds United due to a hamstring issue, leaving the Blues to assess the damage ahead of a crucial match against Arsenal.

The Spanish left-back did not return for the second half on Tuesday, with Jorrel Hato taking his place.

The substitution surprised many fans, as Cucurella had shown no obvious signs of distress during the first half.

"Unfortunately, at half-time, he felt his hamstring," Rosenior explained post-match.

"It wasn’t a tactical change. It was enforced, and Cucu’s been top, and hopefully he’ll be O.K."

The manager added, "We’ll scan him and make sure we find out if he’s available for the next game."

Both Rosenior and the club's supporters will be anxiously awaiting the results of Cucurella's medical scans. The lack of any visible on-field incident provides some hope that the injury may not be severe.

Chelsea's next fixture is an FA Cup fourth-round tie away to Hull City on Friday. This match will almost certainly come too soon for Cucurella, who likely would have been rested for the game against the Championship side regardless.

An eight-day gap follows the cup match, which could provide a window for Cucurella to recover if the injury is minor. Chelsea's schedule is relatively favorable in the short term, with a home game against 19th-placed Burnley on February 21. The Blues will be expected to win that encounter even without their first-choice left-back.