Edouard Mendy undergoes surgery on finger injury as Chelsea boss Graham Potter’s problems mount

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has undergone surgery to remedy a finger injury he picked up earlier this week.

The Senegal international has seen his place as the club’s confirmed No. 1 come under threat from Kepa Arrizabalaga who was given the nod in goal in September by Graham Potter.

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After being dislodged through September and October, Mendy was restored to the side in the weeks before the World Cup.

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Mendy featured for Senegal as they advanced to the round of 16 before losing 3-0 to England.

Upon returning to Stamford Bridge, Kepa was given the nod as Mendy struggled with a shoulder complaint.

Mendy had hopes of pressing his claims in January, but he damaged a finger earlier in the week and the club sent him for surgery.

In a statement, Chelsea said: “Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has undergone an operation on a fractured finger sustained in training this week.

“The 30-year-old will work closely with the club’s medical department during his rehabilitation phase.”

It was a brief statement and gave no indication of the timeframe for Mendy’s absence, but it is likely to be a number of weeks.

While it has been a tough time for Chelsea in the Premier League, they sit in 10th place in the table, they advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Manchester City beat Potter’s side in the EFL Cup in November and the two sides meet again in the FA Cup on Sunday – just days after their Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge where Pep Guardiola’s side won 1-0.

Potter has a lengthy injury list to contend with ahead of the trip to Manchester.

Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Ben Chilwell are on the injured list, while Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic limped out of the loss to City on Thursday.

Armando Broja, Wesley Fofana and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are other long-term injury victims for Chelsea, and it remains to be seen if Potter opts to blood some of his January signings in the coming weeks.

David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and Benoit Badiashile have made the move to west London in recent days, but may need some time to acclimatise to the top level in England.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it, and I’d ideally not want to experience it here,” Potter said of the injury list. “But it is what it is, I have to just carry on.”

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