Chelsea Receive Major Injury Boost as Emiliano Martinez Pushes for Early Comeback

Chelsea have received encouraging news over Emiliano Martinez, with the goalkeeper reportedly hoping to return from his broken jaw earlier than initially expected.

According to Sky Sports, the Argentine is making positive progress in his recovery after undergoing surgery for the injury sustained during Chelsea’s visit to Everton earlier this month.

Martinez had initially suggested he would be “back in a few weeks”, while Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso also indicated a similar timeframe last week.

However, fresh optimism has emerged following a report from Sky Sports News’ James Savundra, who says Martinez could make an earlier comeback after consulting a specialist about wearing a protective mask.

Chelsea face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday before making the trip to Sunderland ahead of the international break. Martinez’s potential return would come as a welcome boost for Alonso, who has been forced to turn to young goalkeeper Mike Penders.

The 21-year-old deputised for Martinez but endured a disappointing first Premier League start against Tottenham last week, scoring an own goal.

Martinez had quickly become Chelsea’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper after joining the club from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window.

However, the Blues’ injury concerns have continued to grow, with Maxence Lacroix becoming the latest player to suffer a setback.

The defender picked up a suspected hamstring problem during Wednesday’s visit to Anfield and was forced off before the half-time break.

Alonso admitted that the club would need a few days to assess the injury before determining its seriousness.

“It’s too early to tell how serious it is,” the Chelsea manager said.

“Unfortunately he felt something in his hamstring and we need a couple of days to check what the injury’s going to be.”

Chelsea are already missing Joao Pedro, Reece James, Martinez, Pep Chavarria and Jamie Gittens, while Moises Caicedo and Malo Gusto have also been dealing with minor fitness issues.

Despite the setbacks, Morgan Rogers has praised the team’s fighting spirit following their response to the defeat against Tottenham.

Rogers believes Chelsea showed the right mentality with their performance against Liverpool at Anfield.

“To show that reaction shows we have players in the dressing room with character and fight – that’s all you can ask,” he said.

He added: “Of course we will get better tactically and technically in terms of the way we want to play.

“We showed real fight after that loss and to put in a performance against a tough team, I’m proud of the boys and now we have to keep moving forward.”

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