Chelsea’s Badiashile ruled out for Carabao Cup final with groin injury

Chelsea have been hit with injury as defender Benoit Badiashile has been ruled out for at least a month due to a groin problem.

The 22-year-old French international will miss the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on February 25, after sustaining the injury during last week’s FA Cup victory over Aston Villa.

Badiashile’s absence adds to Chelsea’s defensive concerns, with manager Mauricio Pochettino now forced to find alternatives for the upcoming fixtures.

The defender will miss key matches, including tonight’s Premier League clash against Crystal Palace and the away game against Manchester City next week.

The injury setback is particularly disappointing for Badiashile, who has struggled for minutes this season due to various injury problems.

Despite speculation about a potential return to Ligue 1 with Lyon last month, Chelsea decided to retain him.

Badiashile’s partnership with Axel Disasi against Villa showed promise, but any hopes of a long-term partnership will have to wait until his return.

Meanwhile, another Blue defender Levi Colwill has been cleared to play against Palace after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Additionally, Trevoh Chalobah, who has yet to feature this season due to a thigh problem, is making progress in his recovery and has returned to training.