Callum Hudson-Odoi Set for Long Layoff After Appearing to Rupture Achilles
Callum Hudson-Odoi looks to be out for the rest of the season—and possibly much longer—after appearing to rupture his Achilles tendon on Monday in Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Burnley.
While Chelsea has yet to conduct scans on the young star, the club appears to be bracing for the worst after Hudson-Odoi appeared to land awkwardly while trying to control a ball and proceeded to limp around before being replaced by Pedro. Hudson-Odoi confirmed the severity of the injury on Twitter after the match.
Chelsea assistant coach Gianfranco Zola talked about the injury postgame, saying "I think it's a serious injury. It's his Achilles tendon. I cannot tell you the extent of it. I don't know—he'll have to have an examination, but it's not looking good."
The injury concludes a frustrating year for Hudson-Odoi that saw the Chelsea academy product agitated at not getting more first-team opportunities under manager Maurizio Sarri. Hudson-Odoi even put in a formal transfer request in January after drawing interest—and a large bid—from Bayern Munich, but Chelsea rejected the offer amid hopes that Hudson-Odoi might opt to sign a contract extension with the club.
Now with his season over and a number of months of rehab potentially in the future, Hudson-Odoi's future seems all the more uncertain—especially considering his contract ends in June 2020. But Chelsea and its young star will hold out hope for any positive news in the coming days and a speedy recovery.