Christian Pulisic was replaced after just 22 minutes (Picture: Getty)
Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic both hobbled off with injuries in the first half of Chelsea’s match against Manchester City on Thursday night.
Sterling, facing the side he left in the summer, was replaced after just five minutes and could be seen holding his hamstring after a collision with John Stones as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took his place.
Pulisic, meanwhile, was also forced off after a crunching tackle from Stones on 22 minutes with Graham Potter deciding to bring on Carney Chukwuemeka.
It is the earliest a Premier League side has subbed two starters in a game since Watford vs Crystal Palace in December 2016.
Mason Mount, meanwhile, was a surprise omission from Chelsea’s squad to take on City on Thursday night after picking up an injury in training the previous day.
‘He had a kick in training yesterday, so it never rains but it pours as they say,’ Potter told Sky Sports before kick-off.
N’Golo Kante (thigh), Reece James (knee), Edouard Mendy (shoulder), Wesley Fofana (knee), Armando Broja (knee) Ruben Loftus-Cheek (ankle) and Ben Chilwell (hamstring) are all also ruled out in what is an injury nightmare for the Blues.
‘In the end you are trying to find a solution: How do you replace Reece James? How do you replace N’Golo Kante? How do you replace Wesley Fofana? These are guys that are key players for us,’ Potter also said before kick-off.
‘I don’t want to make excuses, it sounds like them. We need stability and we are working towards that.
‘We need to be consistent with the shape and try and be consistent with the players we have.
‘We’ve lost James and Mason Mount since our last home game. That is just the life you have as a football manager. That affects consistency.
‘When you’re playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, it would be nice to say we have 11 players and we’ll roll them out all the time, but that isn’t the reality that you have.
‘You have to adjust, and of course if results don’t go well you get criticism for that. If you don’t change your formation and you lose you get criticism. It is what it is. You have to accept it.’
MORE : Mason Mount misses Chelsea vs Manchester City due to training injury
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An absolute nightmare for the Blues…Â
