Dário Essugo is reportedly expected to miss a minimum of 12 weeks after the 20-year-old suffered a serious thigh injury during the September international break.
Chelsea’s injury woes are starting to pile up. The Blues already lost Levi Colwill to an ACL injury and Liam Delap to a hamstring injury. Cole Palmer also missed Chelsea’s last two matches with a groin issue and remains a doubt ahead of a trip to Brentford this weekend.
Now, Essugo joined his new teammates in the infirmary. Chelsea confirmed the midfielder underwent successful surgery in the days following his thigh injury, which he sustained while representing Portugal’s U-21 squad.
Although Essugo has already begun his recovery at Cobham, he is in for a lengthy layoff. According to The Athletic, Essugo is looking at a three-month spell on the sidelines.
The report claims the summer signing will likely not be available for selection until 2026, leaving Enzo Maresca with another injury to work around in the opening months of the 2025–26 season.
Essugo joined Chelsea from Sporting CP for £18.5 million ($23.9 million) in June. Although the young talent was never going to beat out Moisés Caicedo or Enzo Fernández for a spot in Chelsea’s XI, he added depth to Maresca’s midfield.
The summer signing featured three times in Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign, winning his first trophy in a blue shirt just a few weeks after his move to west London. Essugo then made two preseason appearances in which he logged a total of 63 minutes.
Maresca had not yet awarded Essugo his Premier League debut, though, keeping the Portugal international on the bench for the Blues’ opening three matches of the season.
Now, the 20-year-old will likely have to wait until next year to play his first match in the English top-flight.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea ‘Fear’ Summer Signing Will Be Sidelined Until 2026.