Chelsea Given Key Marc Cucurella Injury Update Ahead of Huge Arsenal Test

Cucurella Enters Fitness Race Ahead of League Clash with London Rivals

Chelsea could be in trouble next weekend if first-choice left-back Marc Cucurella doesn’t manage to get fit for their Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, after he was hauled off at half-time in the Blues’ midweek draw with Leeds.

The Spaniard has consistently shown that he can effectively deal with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, while the Euro 2024 winner is also a key part of the way Chelsea build momentum down the left flank.

Though no time frame has been given for his recovery, the Spanish Football Federation are ‘concerned’ by the injury, as Luis de la Fuente is also starting to rev up preparations for the March international break.

How Severe is Cucurella’s Injury?

Hooked at half-time against Leeds, many Chelsea fans were initially confused by Liam Rosenior’s choice to bring on Jorell Hato in place of Cucurella, and the confusion only deepened when Sky Sports enquired as to whether or not the left-back was injured and the Chelsea medical staff responded with a clear-cut no.

But upon the full-time whistle, by which point Chelsea allowed a two-goal lead to slip to a 2-2 draw, Liam Rosenior confirmed that Cucurella had in fact suffered a hamstring injury and was brought off in a preventative measure so as to limit the damage.

Hope the results of Marc Cucurella come back good. pic.twitter.com/KbsMgKARue

— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) February 13, 2026

Rosenior also confirmed that Cucurella would be officially unavailable for Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with Hull City – clearly, the Blues are trying to swaddle him in bubble wrap in the hope that he can recover for their third Arsenal face-off in 2026 on March 1st.

According to reports, Cucurella has been undergoing a series of in-house scans and assessments in Chelsea’s physio department, and while the extent of the injury remains a mystery and the recovery time is still undisclosed, reports emerging from Spain indicate that it isn’t just a knock.

Spanish outlet AS have alleged that Cucurella is set to undergo an MRI scan in a bid to pinpoint the extent of the muscular injury, and should it be anything more than trivial, his time on the sidelines could stretch to multiple weeks.

Though Chelsea will be the biggest losers if Cucurella is indeed set for a period on the sidelines, the Spanish national team will also struggle without their star fullback as they head into the March international break.

La Roja are set to face off with Argentina in the one-off Finalissima, a trophy game played between the Champions of Europe and the Champions of South America – both nations are expected to name full-strength lineups for the fixture, and with Lionel Messi likely to start on the right flank, the absence of Cucurella’s intimate, tight-marking brand of defending could prove crucial.

Arsenal’s William Saliba is also facing a race against time to return ahead of the Chelsea game, having missed the Brentford game on Thursday night thanks to an undisclosed injury. Without their two biggest defensive presences, Arsenal vs Chelsea at the start of March has the potential to be a chaotically unpredictable affair.