Chelsea Handed Fresh Christian Pulisic Injury Blow Prior to Burnley Clash

Chelsea suffered a major injury blow prior to their clash with Burnley on Saturday as Christian Pulisic withdrew from the matchday squad through injury.

The club have yet to confirm the severity or cause of the injury, with German international Timo Werner drafted into the starting XI at late notice in place of the American.

Pulisic has been no stranger to spells on the sidelines since his move to the Premier League in 2019. The 22-year-old suffered a tear in his abductor muscle against Saturday's opponents Burnley when the two sides clashed at Stamford Bridge earlier this year. He subsequently missed 11 games before returning after the restart of football in June.

His 2020/21 campaign has already been somewhat injury disrupted, having missed Frank Lampard's side's first three league games after picking up a hamstring strain in the FA Cup final against Arsenal in August, and it seems his injury woes look set to continue.

Despite being frustrated by numerous setbacks the former Borussia Dortmund man enjoyed a solid maiden season at Chelsea, with his post-restart form in particular drawing plaudits.

Pulisic notched four goals and four assists in his nine league appearances following the Premier League's resumption and looked to be settling into his role at the club.

Lampard's decision to call upon Werner to replace the injured American has raised eyebrows among the Chelsea community, with Callum Hudson-Odoi left to watch on from the bench.

The highly-rated youngster has again been linked with a move away from west London, with German giants Bayern Munich reigniting their interest in the 19-year-old, even though he signed a new five-year deal at the beginning of last year.

However, Hudson-Odoi has struggled to make an impression under Lampard - being afforded just 22 league appearances in the 2019/20 campaign - and it remains to be seen whether the Chelsea boss sees a long-term future at the club for the England international.