Chelsea may have lost somewhat unflatteringly on Wednesday, but they did so without their best player on the pitch or even in the squad for that matter. In fact, Juan Mata didn't even travel with the team as it turned out, having stayed behind at Chelsea base of tour-operations in Washington, D.C. to presumably enjoy the injured life of room service and pay-per-view at the Four Seasons (or a hotel of equal opulence) with our good friend David Luiz.
With both Chelsea favorites embroiled in silly transfer rumor after silly transfer rumor, this latest development has caused further concern. So what's the ... Mata ... with Juan Mata?
"I don't know if David Luiz and Mata will be back for Roma, they have some small problems, Mata a new one and David Luiz a problem he had in the past, a muscular injury he had before the Champions League final."
-José Mourinho, source: Chelsea FC
Small problem, which is good, but may miss the final preseason match, which is not good. Meanwhile, David Luiz seems to have resurrected an injury from two seasons ago, which, if I'm paranoid means that he's currently on a plane to Barcelona. Fortunately I'm not paranoid, just hold on for a second while I set my alarm and turn on the motion sensors.
Both Mata and David Luiz are behind in their preparations for the new season thanks to the Confederations Cup and these latest development are certainly not helping them catch up. Oh well; it is what it is - it's going to be a long season, and constantly lingering injuries are the worst so let's get them fixed right the first time.