Chelsea star suffers new four-week injury blow - will miss Newcastle United & Arsenal games

Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku will require another spell on the sidelines following his latest injury blow.

Nkunku was introduced in the 67th minute of Sunday's Carabao Cup final defeat Liverpool at Wembley and completed almost an hour as the game went to extra time. Virgil van Dijk scored a 118th minute winner for the Reds.

That appearance was only the 26-year-old's 10th for the Blues following his £52million summer move from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. Nkunku previously missed three months because of a meniscus injury earlier in the season.

"We need to evaluate him (Nkunku) every day," said Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino. "At the moment, he could be maybe three or four weeks out.We hope no more.

"We found out after [the final that he had suffered an injury]. It’s difficult for him. When he arrived in pre-season, he was flying on the pitch and in training in America.

"Then he got the knee injury and now it’s nearly eight months later. Even when he was ready to be involved again, he couldn’t be the same as before. That is the risk.

"We have in our head the potential best Nkunku that everyone knows from the Bundesliga, but he can’t be that player. That is why it is unfair to judge because the situations are completely different."

In the timescale provided Pochettino, Nkunku will miss matches against Brentford, Newcastle United and Arsenal. Eddie Howe's side visit Stamford Bridge a week on Monday.

"It’s difficult for him," Pochettino added. "When he arrived in the pre-season, he was flying until he got the knee injury and now it’s nearly eight months and even when he was “ready” to be involved again, he was never the same player as before.

"We have in our head, the potential, best Nkunku that everyone knows from Germany, from the Bundesliga, but it is not the same player when after he needs to be an impact player in the final because of different circumstances.

"Of course, for the team it’s not a good thing for us because we can’t provide to the team a player who can perform and score goals and can be important in this type of game."