Jamie Gittens picked up a worrying injury during England Under-21’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, overshadowing a successful night for his club teammates.
Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens was forced off with an apparent injury during the England Under-21s’ 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Friday, creating a new injury concern for Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
According to a report from OneFootball, citing the official game commentary, Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens appeared to sustain a knock during England Under-21’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA U21 Championship qualifiers on Friday.
Gittens, a summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of around £48m, was forced off the pitch just after the hour mark in the fixture played at St Andrew’s.
Gittens made a run into the box in the 57th minute of the game and was on the receiving end of a slide tackle from Ireland’s James McManus.
While he appeared to avoid the worst of the tackle, the former Dortmund star “walked uncomfortably” after the incident.
Just a few minutes later, Gittens was replaced by Fulham’s Josh King in the 61st minute and “headed straight down the tunnel” for what looked like an apparent injury.
His substitution created an immediate worry for Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, who is dealing with several key injuries ahead of the club’s vital run of games, which includes Premier League fixtures and back-to-back home matches against Barcelona and Arsenal.
The report notes it “remains unclear whether Gittens could not continue or it was just a precautionary substitution for now.”
The 21-year-old, who has made 14 appearances for the Blues this season, is due to stay with the England U21 squad for another qualifier against Slovakia on Tuesday.