Enzo’s injury means Pochettino rethink – but perfect replacement still isn’t ready

Enzo Fernandez is going to miss the game against Wolves tomorrow, that much has been established. But how long will he be out?

The reports after he went off early against Newcastle were that he had an “illness”, but in his press conference yesterday Mauricio Pochettino informed us that it was actually a hernia:

“Enzo is going to be out of the game against Wolverhampton. We are going to see if he can be involved again as soon as possible. You already have the information that it was a hernia and he also didn’t feel well. We are going to give treatment with the doctor. For me, it is not going to be a problem I think he is going to be as soon as possible again with the group.”

Now hernias have a wide range of severity. The most minor type might meaning just a week out. The most serious could mean months, or even surgery. Given he was risked against the Magpies from the start, one would imagine it’s more the former than the latter. But we also don’t know if it’s been aggravated further.

With Enzo out, it would be the perfect game for Christopher Nkunku to make his first Chelsea start. But that idea has been dismissed by Pochettino again. Much as in the Sheffield United game, we expect Mykhailo Mudryk to be in the team, with Cole Palmer moved into a different role in midfield.