Conor Gallagher’s worst-case injury scenario is revealed to Chelsea following an England update.

Chelsea injury updates: Despite a niggle, Conor Gallagher is poised to play a crucial role for England.

Although Raheem Sterling and Levi Colwill returned to Cobham for entirely distinct reasons during the international break, Mauricio Pochettino’s concerns for Chelsea do not end there. Although it is possible that the England duo will be based at the Surrey training facility for the next ten days, they still have additional matters to attend to.

Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are both preparing to make their debuts for the club, while Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, and Carney Chukwuemeka are also sidelined. The Blues’ treatment room remains crowded. Colwill was unexpectedly omitted from the squad that faced Manchester City, despite having been included in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions group.

England have two games remaining of their Euro 2024 qualifying group and face Malta on Friday night, a game Colwill won’t be part of after pulling out of the group due to a shoulder problem. Sterling, however, was merely left out by Southgate for a third time in a row.

Following his recent return to the starting lineup, Reece James chose not to accept the call-up from his country. Simply put, Conor Gallagher is not absent from a single match.

The 23-year-old has become an increasingly vital member of the club and national teams over the course of the last twelve months. He was a frequent substitute in 2022/23, starting only half of the league games but appearing in all but three; no one had more appearances, but he still accumulated the ninth-most minutes.

The situation in England has been comparable. Southgate granted him his senior debut subsequent to his breakthrough season with Crystal Palace in 2021/22, during which he scored eight goals from midfield. Had he maintained that form, he would have finished as the joint-second highest scorer at Chelsea. Subsequent to that, he has consistently been a member of rosters, albeit with a limited impact.

Although he has only started three games for his country, Gallagher has now made six appearances in the last eight, primarily coming off the substitute. Nevertheless, his performance this year has been indisputable, and with a center position becoming vacant for the upcoming summer, he is among those vying for a spot in the starting lineup.

Southgate responded when asked about one of Mauricio Pochettino’s favorites, “He possesses tremendous drive.” “For me, this week was a classic.” He entered the room with a minor injury sustained over the weekend, but he declared, “It is a little sore, but I will be fine for Friday.”

“It was inconceivable that he would return home; he would certainly give himself every opportunity.” Although he was unable to train for the first few days, he remained resolute in his determination to be available. In essence, this will define one of his greatest strengths—an exceptional mentality—that will enable him to accomplish everything he sets his sights on in the game.

The Blues might be alarmed to learn of these remarks. This season, Gallagher has started each league match and two of the three Carabao Cup matches. His efforts have been crucial to the progress of Pochettino’s squad, despite their current mid-table position, and only Thiago Silva and Robert Sanchez have appeared in more games than him thus far.

As the team leader in tackles and interceptions and holder of the fourth-most passes and third-most shot-creating actions, Gallagher is presently irreplaceable and has served as the team’s captain of choice during the absences of Reece James and Ben Chilwell. Considering that Gallagher must also qualify for the Euros the following summer, there is a possibility that he will also begin on Friday, further taxing his body.

This would ensure he maintains his composure and motivation during the hiatus for the Blues. While neither of those have been issues for him in the past when he has had less playing time for his country, it does run the risk of aggravating any injuries he sustained against Manchester City.

Given the upcoming match against North Macedonia and the significant matches that Gallagher and Chelsea will face upon his return, it will be eagerly awaited whether he makes his return to the field. Due to the team’s success and the opportunity to experiment, Cole Palmer has been named James Maddison’s replacement in the squad; consequently, the likelihood that Gallagher will play a more significant role than customary has increased.

He will be eager to return to west London in good health, as Chelsea will have additional tasks to complete in the coming months in an effort to rectify his lackluster start to the season.