CHELSEA have been struck with a double blow when it comes to Christopher Nkunku.
That's after Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that not only is the forward out for up to a month, but that "he is not the same player" that they signed.
Chelsea signed Nkunku for £52million this summer after agreeing the deal with RB Leipzig last January.
Nkunku was brought in to high expectations having scored 16 goals and assisted six times in 26 Bundesliga appearances last season.
But, after shining in pre-season for the Blues, the forward suffered a serious knee injury on the eve of the Premier League season.
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That's seen him make just 10 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season.
The forward came off the bench in the 67th minute as Chelsea lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool on Sunday.
Pochettino confirmed that the player suffered another injury during the game, despite him not being withdrawn after being subbed on.
The Chelsea boss said: "We heard yesterday that Chris Nkunku got injured, but we don’t know when he got injured.
“He’s undergoing medical assessment”.
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He then admitted to fearing the player is not the same as when he signed "It’s difficult for him. We watched him when he arrived in pre-season.
"He was flying on the training pitch until he got injured. Now it is nearly eight months and he has been involved again but it is not the same player as before.
"We have in our head the amazing Nkunku from pre-season but it is not the same player because of the circumstances. That’s why it is sometimes unfair when we judge."
