Andre Villas-Boas admits Michael Essien’s injury is a ‘big blow’ to Chelsea

Portsmouth v Chelsea – Pre Season Friendly, Andre Villas-Boas

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Andre Villas-Boas has conceded that the injury suffered by Michael Essien is a “big blow” to Chelsea.

The Ghanaian suffered a cruciate ligament injury and is expected to be sidelined for up to six months – the third time in the midfielder’s career that he has had to endure a lengthy lay-off.

The 28-year-old has not travelled with the rest of the squad for their pre-season tour of Asia, but goalkeeper Petr Cech and defender Alex have both made the trip despite carrying injuries.

“We have nothing out of the ordinary apart from obviously Michael, who of course didn’t travel with the team. It’s a big blow for us, not only as a player but what he represents as a person,” Villas-Boas told reporters.

“Regarding other injuries, it is just normal pre-season injuries and discomforts due to the amount of training the players have been doing and the intensity they are putting in in training sessions. There is nothing out of the ordinary with Alex and Petr Cech and you will readily see them back.”

The Portuguese manager was quizzed about whether he would consider one or more players in his squad as “untouchable”, to which he replied: “Untouchable is a person who continuously performs at a high level.”

He added: “Based on the trophies these players have won before and the success they have had, aren’t these the players you want in the end? Could be, no?

“As long as people are able to perform in training and the expectations of the fans and to a level of performance that is high and enables them to be in the starting 11 continuously I don’t see why it shouldn’t happen.

“The most important thing for a leader is to be coherent in the decisions that he takes and it’s a principle I cannot let go. As long as people are able to perform to the highest level as top players, which they are, and the past also shows, then I have no problem with that.”

Villas-Boas’ men play a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lampur on Thursday and the manager insisted that the team would be looking for new ways to improve ahead of the start of the Premier League season.

“We are trying to build on a new way of playing and getting together ideas, and hopefully by August 7, when we initiate the week running into the Stoke game, we will be already almost with the experiences we need to bring us to success against Stoke,” he said.

“I don’t want to focus a lot on formations, these kind of players offer the flexibility to play in various different ways so it is not just a question of formation giving me more than another one. With what they have we will try to find a better way to play so that they can potentiate their own talent.

“There is plenty of talent in this squad, as I told you before, and I want to believe the players can still find new things in them to exploit.

“It’s always them that offer to me rather than myself offering to them.”