Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that full-back Emerson Palmieri will be out of action for at least four weeks.
Emerson picked up an injury during international duty with Italy but was deemed fit to start in the big game against Liverpool. Unfortunately, Emerson lasted just 15 minutes and was replaced by Marcos Alonso.
Marcos Alonso has deputized for Emerson during his injury spell, with Lampard playing a back three, a formation in which Alonso is more comfortable with playing as a left wing-back as opposed to left-back.
Emerson was signed fro, Roma for €20 million in the January transfer window of 2018 to provide competition for Alonso but after struggling to assert himself initially he became the first-choice left-back in the second half of last season under Sarri.
The 25-year-old continued his form from last season into this season and his injury will come as a huge blow to Chelsea.
‘Emerson now won’t be back until the other side of the international break (which is during mid-October)’, he told the club’s website.
‘It will be a few weeks because it is the recurrence of an injury so we have to be a bit careful with it.’
‘Christensen is not too severe. Hopefully, he won’t be out for too long but I can’t give a timeframe,‘ Lampard added.
Another alternative for Lampard would be to play captain Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back and the upcoming Reece James at right back. Azpilicueta initially broke into the Chelsea side as a left-back, replacing Ashley Cole in the starting eleven.
