Enzo Maresca: Chelsea's Andrey Santos out until after international break

The 21-year-old, who started in last weekend's league defeat to Brighton, missed Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League group stage victory over Benfica and will not return until after the upcoming international break.

The setback adds to a growing list of absentees for Maresca, who is already without Cole Palmer, Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and Dario Essugo.

Both Palmer and Adarabioyo are expected to remain sidelined until after the internationals, ruling them out of Saturday's Stamford Bridge clash with Liverpool.

Santos' injury is particularly untimely, as he had been handed increased responsibility in midfield this term. His absence leaves Chelsea light in central options at a crucial point, with the team aiming to build momentum in both domestic and European competitions.

"We lost from Brighton Andrey Santos, who will be out until after the international break. We have seven, eight players out unfortunately for us in this moment," said Maresca, according to Football.London.

The situation underscores concerns raised by Chelsea's directors earlier in the year, when they were warned of possible fitness issues following the club's packed summer calendar.

A gruelling pre-season, which included the Club World Cup, has seemingly begun to take its toll just weeks into the 2025/26 campaign. 

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