Medical expert feared Callum Hudson-Odoi ‘neurological damage’ after ‘strange’ Chelsea update
Thomas Tuchel’s recent comments about Callum Hudson-Odoi initially sparked fears that he may have had some form of “neurological damage” – but the Chelsea star is likely just fatigued.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Hudson-Odoi, 21, has not played since the Club World Cup final in February.
The winger has been struggling with an ongoing Achilles problem and was not expected to return in 2021-22.
Tuchel told club media last Sunday (22 May) that “it is more or less a muscle injury that affected the whole of both legs”.
This is in contrast to earlier comments about the three-cap England man which suggested only one leg was affected by the Achilles issue.
Dinnery, however, argues that the German manager’s quotes may have been lost in translation.
“This is a bit of a strange one,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“I was quite surprised to see Tuchel provide another update. He had initially said they weren’t expecting him back until July.
“It looks as though he tried to get him ready for that final game but ultimately failed. We know he’s had this ongoing Achilles problem that’s hampered him
“He has been in and out of training for a long time, he hasn’t been able to build his load. But I don’t think this is anything too major.
“When you hear it’s both legs, your initial fears are nerve damage, something neurological or a problem with the back. But maybe it is just an overloading issue.
“If he has been working too hard to try and get back, he might just be fatigued. Sometimes the manager’s quotes can be misinterpreted.”
Hudson-Odoi’s 28 appearances in all competitions in 2021-22 yielded three goals and six assists.
Chelsea confirmed a 3rd-place finish with a 2-1 win over Wolves last Sunday (22 May).
In other news, pundit suggests Christian Pulisic facing Chelsea exit as crunch Thomas Tuchel talks planned.