Maxence Lacroix

to go in trying to give us how the two teams are going uh the match

But when you look at Maxence Lacroix and the impact he's made on the Chelsea team this season alone, it's problematic to have him lose or to have him start this game against Manchester United, which is a very bad game.

Now, and this is where I'm going to start my analysis.

I believe this game is going to be won by a force that throws the midfield on the day.

Do you think just sitting in and sitting tight might be an answer for them for the future?

I mean, potentially there is a big Maxence Lacroix shaped hold in that back line.

I think when you've got someone that was just a magnet for the ball defensively that would head so many crosses clear, that part has been a challenge.

I think they'd have, you know, whether they kept Glasner, whichever coach they'd have brought in, if you lose that much player quality, three-fifths of that back line went, Daniel Munoz as well.

So without any further ado, let's go through and see what we're going to be forced to do this weekend.

Ben Jacobs here confirms Maxence Lacroix will be out until after the international break with a hamstring injury.

Caicedo will be fit for Man United.

Alonso adds, there is a chance Emi Martinez is back before the international break.

Because in the hard moments of most of that European competition, Lacroix was coming out and saying, we've got to do better in these European moments because we may never see this again.

So losing a leader like Maxence Lacroix, you're saying, okay, wouldn't deny a player a big move, but why aren't we looking to replace him? When we sold Alisse, we got Inesme Lassar.

Different profile of player, but both quick, both direct, and both can cause havoc to an opposition.

You understood it.

Similar kind of profile.

Pino's are more of a left winger than Eze is.

I'm still yet to see a defender that can replace Maxence Lacroix or Mark Gahey for that matter.

So that shows you where my frustration goes with the fan of the club.

First-choice goalkeeper, Remy Martinez, will be missing.

Arguably the best defender, Maxence Lacroix, pulled his hamstring, it looked like, in that Liverpool League Cup defeat.

The captain, Rhys James, is out at the moment.

The centre-forward, arguably the most important player, João Pedro, also missing.

You know, Chelsea go ahead.

You have the injury to Lacroix.

He was saying that Caicedo was suffering with cramps.

I believe it was Gusto as well, he mentioned.

So it's a difficult one for Chelsea to manage, I think, as a club.

I don't think we need to go overly long on the match itself, but just to break it down, Chelsea had through Morgan Rodgers' penalty after Gravenberch fouled Kai Sado, but that lasted for three minutes.

Gakpo scoring from the spot after Wesley Fofana had done a pretty daft handball and then immediately after that, Maxence Lacroix goes off with what looked like a hamstring injury.

Not much going on in the second half other than a couple of decent Pender saves and Morgan Rogers putting his boots on the wrong feet at half-time, it looked like to me.

Obviously, we lost Joao Pedro to a liquid in the hamstring, which is now looking like a long-term injury.

Then we lose Maxence Lacroix to a pretty gnarly hamstring injury.

He pulled up during a sprint.

Never a good sign.

I don't think nothing...

At the time of recording we don't, but regardless, we've been hit hard because we've effectively lost three quarters of our spine.

Emi Martinez, Lacroix and Jao Pedro, they're all out, all potentially out for some time.

Martinez is rumoured to be getting a face mask fitted and rushing back, which fair enough, that's