Loftus-Cheek in protective boot and on crutches after charity friendly injury

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is injured and fingers must be pointed.

Blame the club for scheduling this game for now.
Blame the coach for playing the player.
Blame the pitch for being a bit crap.
Blame to player for being injury-prone.
Blame fate for being cruel.
Blame whatever else makes you feel better personally.

There’s plenty of blame to go around, to be sure.

There’s also just plain old bad luck, as much as that explanation is not “satisfying” enough. One cannot get angry at luck. Fingers cannot be pointed at luck, and apparently it’s an inherent part of human nature to point fingers. There must be blood and we will have our vengeance, in this life or the next.

The extent of Loftus-Cheek’s injury is so far unknown.

All we can tell is that it’s probably not good. He could not walk off under his own power and had to be helped by the physios. There didn’t appear to be much, if any contact with opposition player, but there also didn’t seem to be any exaggerated movement. There was a step and then Ruben was down. He was grabbing towards the lower left leg, leading many to speculate about an Achilles injury (like Hudson-Odoi).

He came on as a half-time substitute, and lasted less than 25 minutes. He did not talk to any reporters afterwards. Head coach Maurizio Sarri had been feeling under the weather with a stomach ailment, and thus did not hold a post-match press conference either.

What we do know is that after the game, Loftus-Cheek needed a protective boot to immobilize the lower leg and crutches to help him walk.

This is not good. It would be surprising if he was ready for the Europa League final in two weeks, and just as surprising if it didn’t turn out to be something major.

Not good.