The news that Ruben Loftus-Cheek had suffered an Achilles injury just weeks after Callum Hudson-Odoi was absolutely sickening for any Chelsea fan.
We’ve waited ten years for young players from the academy to make it to the first team, and just as two of them managed it, they’ve been snatched away so cruelly.
There’s always question marks over how this kind of serious problem could affect them in the long term, and most importantly they will have to earn the trust of the manager all over again – even if Maurizio Sarri is still in charge by the time they’re back.
It’s an absolutely bitter blow, and it’s no surprise to see Blues fans lashing out to try and find someone to blame.
The fact that this happened on an artificial pitch is appalling. Why on earth we had this game now, rather than in July, if first team players are going to be involved, is mystifying too.
But there’s no point blaming the manager, or the owner, or some mysterious figures at the top of the club who organised this. There’s no point. What’s done is done. We’ve been tangibly hurt by our own poor planning, and we hope that someone is taking the blame internally for it.
All that remains is to hope that the pair recover fully and are back as soon as possible.