Chelsea set for concerning injury update as £37m option emerges for Liam Rosenior

Liam Rosenior is set to be without a key Chelsea star for the foreseeable future but the Blues head coach has a more-than-capable deputy to call upon

Liam Rosenior is expected to inform the public about the extent of Marc Cucurella's hamstring injury when the Chelsea head coach speaks to the press on Thursday afternoon.

Cucurella was taken off at half-time during the Blues' 2-2 draw with Leeds United last week after feeling pain in his hamstring. The Spain international did not travel to Hull a few days later with Rosenior confirming the left-back is set for a spell out of the side, though he was unable to confirm just how long he would be out for.

Rosenior will take his pre-match press conference on Thursday ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash with Burnley at the weekend, with the fitness of Cucurella set to be high on the agenda for the journalists asking questions. Losing a player of the Spaniard's calibre is always a blow but Rosenior will be encouraged with Jorrel Hato's form and what he has seen from the versatile Dutchman in his short tenure as head coach.

FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

Chelsea paid Ajax a fee in the region of £37million to bring Hato to Stamford Bridge last summer but it was a slow start for the defender. Hato, who can play as a central defender or left-back, made a total of nine appearances in all competitions under former head coach Enzo Maresca, with seven of those coming from the start.

The 19-year-old had a nightmare for Chelsea in Azerbaijan on November 5 in the 2-2 draw with Qarabag. Hato partnered Tosin Adarabioyo in the centre of defence but the Dutchman put in a mistake-ridden display in the Champions League clash and it led to him being exiled for well over a month under Maresca.

The former Ajax defender did not feature for Chelsea again until December 16, where he was part of the side that beat Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-final. Since Maresca's dramatic exit, though, Hato has played a significant role under Rosenior.

Despite the newly-appointed Chelsea head coach being in his position for just over a month, Hato has already featured 11 times - two more than he ever did under Maresca. In fact, Hato has been used, whether it be from the bench or in the starting XI, in every one of Rosenior's matches in charge of the Blues.

Hato is now set for an extended run in the side with Cucurella expected to be missing for at least a couple of weeks due to his hamstring problem. Some reports claim the former Brighton left-back could be out of action for a month.

Rosenior will be frustrated to lose Cucurella for that long, if the reports are true, but the blow has certainly been softened because of Hato's form. For the Dutchman, it is time to really make a statement in the side as we approach the business end of the season.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings