Bakayoko, David Luiz pick up knocks in training for Chelsea

Part of the reason we dislike international breaks is because of players picking up injuries — see: N’Golo Kante with France last month — but unfortunately there is no way to be 100 per cent safe from such things. Even when players stay away from the additional risk posed by national team games (and associated travel and training), they are not guaranteed to avoid knocks and bruises, or worse.

And that is unfortunately the case precisely with David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko, both of whom are in the news for picking up injuries on the training ground with Chelsea on Friday.

With a sizable contingent of players remaining at Cobham this fortnight, Antonio Conte has been conducting training as regularly scheduled, welcoming back David Luiz after his “banishment” last weekend alongside national team snubs like Azpilicueta and Pedro and fitness worries like Drinkwater and Bakayoko.

It is the latter who’s perhaps the most concerning of the bunch, with recent reports revealing that he’s been playing through lingering pain from his knee issues over the summer. According to various reports today, most of which are citing The Sun, Bakayoko “broke down” in training after completing the warm-ups, despite already training away from the main group as is normal for players working on their individual fitness, and was immediately whisked away to the treatment room. The severity of the injury is not known at this time, but hopefully it’s nothing serious.

It’s a similar situation for David Luiz, who “went to the deck clutching his knee” according to the Mirror, and had to receive treatment from the physios. There’s no word on whether the completed the session or not, or whether it was the same knee on which David Luiz has been sporting some heavy wrapping as of late.

So, if you’re keeping track, that’s five players now who have suffered knocks or worse in the last few days, with Alvaro Morata battling a nail problem, Gary Cahill dealing with an unspecified knock (and not expected to play tonight against Germany), Michy Batshuayi returning to Chelsea with a foot injury, Bakayoko “breaking down” and David Luiz clutching his knee. Meanwhile, Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante are not fully match fit after recent injuries and Victor Moses is just back in light training following a month out with a hamstring strain.

Yikes.