September 26th 2024.
Last week, Joao Pedro finally made his return to the field after being out with an injury. However, it seems that his road to recovery is not yet complete as he will not be joining his team for their upcoming game against Chelsea. This news was confirmed by manager Fabian Hurzeler, who also mentioned that Pedro's return has been met with some challenges.
Despite scoring two goals in his first three Premier League games, the Brazilian has been struggling with fitness since the international break in September. He was able to make an appearance as a substitute in their game against Nottingham Forest last weekend, but unfortunately, suffered yet another injury scare after a rough challenge from Morgan Gibbs-White. Fans were concerned when they saw Pedro leaving the game on crutches and not being present for training this week.
Addressing the media before the Chelsea game, Hurzeler shared that Pedro will not be fit to play and they are unable to determine when he will be back on the field. "I'm not sure how long he will be out," the German coach stated. It's a tough blow for the team, but they will have to rely on veteran striker Danny Welbeck to lead the line. Welbeck has already scored three goals this season and is expected to step up in Pedro's absence.
In addition to Welbeck, young talent Evan Ferguson could also make an appearance in the game after making his first start of the season in the Carabao Cup. The Republic of Ireland teenager has been impressing in training and could potentially be a valuable asset for the team.
Last weekend, Hurzeler was sent off during the game against Nottingham Forest, but he assured the press that he will be able to stand on the touchline for the Chelsea game. "In the game, I didn't know what I got the red card for, and then I talked to Howard Webb," he explained. "I heard I got this red card for stepping on the pitch. I think if you give a red card for this, you have to ban a lot of coaches during the games because it happens in emotional situations and phases of the game. It will happen that you step on the pitch."
He went on to add, "Of course, we are all role models and we have to act like this, but I also believe that we should be able to show our emotions. In this case, it was just to protect my player." It's clear that Hurzeler is passionate about his team and will do whatever it takes to support them, even if it means stepping onto the pitch.
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