Graham Potter could do with a bit of luck on the injury front.
As soon as he had taken the Chelsea job in early September, the 47-year-old has already inherited an ongoing hamstring problem for N'Golo Kante that would soon rule him out until February. Edouard Mendy was also injured, soon giving way to Kepa Arrizabalaga's resurgence before he also got injured.
The list has only grown, giving the World Cup break added importance for Chelsea's injured group to recover ahead of the return to action. But Sunday's friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi only increased the strain for Potter.
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Not long into the first half, Armando Broja was left in a heap, loudly screaming in pain after colliding with Ezri Konsa as the Albania international attempted to close down the Villa defender.
On replays, the challenge seemed innocuous, but it required Broja to be stretchered off. Later on Sunday, Broja was seen on crutches, with Potter detailing the concerns to Chelsea's in-house media after the game.
"It was an unfortunate action, I think he got caught up with their player and the ground." Potter explained. "It doesn’t look positive at the moment, but it is too early to say. Fingers crossed, but it is an awkward one."
The scenes of Broja's cries made for uncomfortable viewing in what was supposed to be a relaxed environment, designed to give both Premier League sides a chance to gain some fitness. Now, the cost of travelling out to the Middle East looks high for Chelsea should the worst fears come to pass.
Should the Albanian be ruled out for a large portion of the season, concerns arise over Chelsea's depth in the centre-forward position, with underperforming duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz the other two obvious options currently in the squad.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, eyes might turn to that period of time as one dominated by Chelsea's panicked pursuit of a short-term striker. Naturally, the name of Cristiano Ronaldo soon re-emerged on Sunday amongst fans discussing the injury to Broja.
Even the arguably wilder shout of recalling Romelu Lukaku from his loan at Inter sprung up. Neither of these options are remotely desirable, only Lukaku being more so due to the fact he is contracted to the club.
The Ronaldo temptation is a road Todd Boehly has smartly not walked down yet, with new rumours emerging that the Blues might be heading in the opposite direction, exploring the possibility of a mid-season deal for Borussia Dortmund youngster Youssoufa Moukoko, according to The Secret Scout.
There are alternatives, such as promoting from the academy or moving wide players into more central areas like Raheem Sterling or Christian Pulisic.
Chelsea's wider issues of injury setbacks to key first-team players remains an ongoing concern, one that threatens to derail this difficult season from being salvaged for Potter. But jumping hastily into the January market has its clear pitfalls, regardless of the injury to Broja.
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