Worrying signs for Essien recovery with no Chelsea return date in sight

Michael Essien hasn’t played for Chelsea since Tuesday 8^th December, and it is perhaps no coincidence that Chelsea have won just 58% of their games in the three and half months’ worth of football since he tore his hamstring (he subsequently injured his knee while at the African Cup of Nations).

He has been sorely missed. Without him, an ageing team starved of energy and dynamism threw away a sizeable lead in the title race and tamely limped out of the Champions league in the second round. Michael Essien-less Chelsea managed just eight clean sheets in 22 games and conceded on average one goal each match.

It therefore should have been encouraging to read a piece on the Ghanaian’s recovery on the Chelsea website today. Reading it first time around, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a piece on how well his recovery was going. Essien admits that he had hoped to return in time for the second leg against Inter, but wasn’t ready. 

In light of that revelation however, it’s astonishing that there is no mention throughout the piece of an expected return date. How could he have been hoping to be ready for that game and the club still not have an idea of a return date two weeks later?

It points to something being very wrong, either with Essien’s injury or Chelsea’s medical team’s diagnosis. Looking back over the rest of the article offers little comfort. It speaks of Essien being in a ‘positive mood as he works his way back to fitness’. Essien himself says ‘on a positive note I am feeling mentally strong and I try to stay philosophical about injuries. There are worse injuries than mine and there are people in the world suffering with far more serious problems’.

It could just be me, but they sound like the words of someone expecting – and coming to terms with – more time on the sidelines rather than focusing on an imminent return. Essien also reveals that, while the injury is ‘okay’ and he is ‘making ‘progress’, his training is still focused on healing rather than any kind of regime to build towards match fitness. With just weeks left in the season, the signs aren’t good.

Chelsea’s midfield may have been rampant against struggling Portsmouth last night, but sterner tests are to come - not least against Man Utd in little over a week’s time. Could it be that Chelsea are keeping their cards close to their chests on that one? Unlikely. It looks like Essien’s spell on the sidelines is set to continue.

You might be interested to read:

• How injuries will define Chelsea’s season
• How the African Cup of Nations could benefit Chelsea

Comments

[chelsfan]

i read the article on teh website and thought exactly the same. he's certainly not going to be back any time soon (probably lucky if its before the end of the season).

as you say, the most confusing thing is why he thought he was coming back for inter buy we still don't know when the date is now. does it mean his injury isn't healing, or he's got a weakness in that knee? Or maybe it means the medical team have made a dogs dinner of getting the diagnosis right

[TrueBlueDDP]

Most probably not coming back this season. He's targeting return in the world cup.

[Doctor North Stand]

The club will leak info to gain maximum publicity, he is probably only a few weeks away. The article says he is training every day but still has fluid on the knee. The swelling will subside and he will be back at top speed.

[ian s]

essien is perhaps the most important player of all.

[Michael Hepp]

I think you hit at the heart of the issue when the season started. We needed to be healthy and we just haven't been. Now it seems the injuries are mounting as the heart of the season passes us by. It is hard for me to see us win much this season with all of these injuries. They are mainly defensive players also.

Sad really, so much promise at the start of the season, only to see us struggle with so many injuries. I would like to see the guys finish the season strong and get something from the season.

[Paul W13]

"The club will leak info to gain maximum publicity"

That would suggest some sort of joined-up communications strategy: if Essien was a few weeks away they would be promoting it endlessly. Interestingly, before the Man City game there WAS a feature on Chelsea TV saying that he and Bosingwa would be back soon. It had clips of Essien training designed to reinforce that view: however, the clips were from pre-season! Another example of the club's propaganda exercises falling down at the first hurdle.