Maurizio Sarri admits Chelsea are “in trouble” after Olivier Giroud added to his mounting injury list in their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Giroud limped off in the 76th minute of the Blues’ win having put the ball in the net from an offside position for the second time in the game.
Alvaro Morata struggled as his replacement, spurning his only chance of the closing minutes by running straight at Mamadou Sakho, and if Giroud is out for an extended period Sarri is likely to once more move Eden Hazard infield from his preferred position on the left flank.
Sarri is also short of options out wide and in central midfield, where he was unable to name Cesc Fabregas or Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the bench as his side laboured to victory in the final London derby of 2018.
“The problem is his ankle,” Sarri said of Giroud. I don’t the severity at the moment. We have to wait for tomorrow. Later in the evening I will see the doctor for the first result.
“In the last two days I think we were a bit unlucky. Yesterday in 10 minutes we had three injuries, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek and [Danny] Drinkwater. Today Giroud. Then we were without Pedro and [Callum] Hudson-Odoi.
“Now we are in trouble because in January we have to play every three days."
Giroud would subsequently leave Selhurst Park on crutches as Chelsea face a nervous wait over the 32-year-old’s fitness.
