Schalke04

Chelsea lose Christopher Nkunku to injury in pre-season draw with Dortmund

03-Aug-2023 03:08:47 | The Guardian

• Last-minute Mason Burstow goal salvages draw in Chicago
• Nkunku falls victim to heavy playing surface at Soldier Field

On a cabbage patch of a pitch, Chelsea lost Christopher Nkunku to injury and almost stumbled for the first time under Mauricio Pochettino before summoning the resolve to emerge from pre-season unbeaten after Mason Burstow denied Borussia Dortmund victory with a last-minute equaliser.

The desire to fight back after Marius Wolf’s undeserved opener for Dortmund will have pleased Pochettino, although his mood is unlikely to have been helped by the state of the playing surface at Soldier Field. The damage had been caused by the stadium hosting an Ed Sheeran concert last weekend and it was hard not to suspect that the state of it played a part in Nkunku hurting his left knee during the first half.