Chelsea Injury Blow as Maxence Lacroix Faces Wait After Liverpool Carabao Cup Exit

Chelsea went out of the Carabao Cup to Liverpool, and the bigger problem may yet be what happened before the shootout. Maxence Lacroix limped off in the first half with what looked like a hamstring issue, and there is no clear verdict yet.

The game was poised at 1-1 when Lacroix broke down. Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo had both scored from the spot, and Chelsea were still very much in it. Then Lacroix chased Gakpo through the middle, pulled up and went down off the ball. That usually tells its own story.

He received treatment on the pitch, then made way for Levi Colwill. The sight of him leaving mattered almost as much as the substitution itself. He hobbled towards the dressing room clutching the back of his left thigh, moving slowly and looking worried. You do not need a medical degree to know that is not encouraging.

Xabi Alonso was predictably cautious afterwards. “Too early to tell. Probably he felt something on the hamstrings. And we need a couple of days to check what’s going to be the injury.” That is manager-speak for wait and see, because there is nothing else to say until the scans are done.

Maxence Lacroix Injury Adds to Chelsea Problems

Chelsea did not arrive at Liverpool in perfect shape. Joao Pedro, Reece James and Jamie Gittens were already absent, while Cole Palmer missed the tie through suspension. Losing Lacroix on top of that would hurt.

He has been a regular since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer, featuring in all eight Premier League matches and both Carabao Cup ties so far. That tells you two things, Chelsea trust him and they need him. If this turns into a lay-off, depth gets tested quickly.

Carabao Cup Exit Leaves Chelsea Waiting

There is the disappointment of elimination, of course, but cup defeats come and go. Soft-tissue injuries are different. Chelsea now wait for the assessment, and for Alonso the priority is straightforward, find out how bad it is and hope the first signs are misleading. For now, all Chelsea have is a draw at 1-1, a shootout defeat, and a defender walking off like a man who knew something had gone wrong.