11/02/2026
Liam Rosenior has revealed that Marc Cucurella’s half-time substitution against Leeds United was due to injury, while also sharing his thoughts on how Chelsea allowed victory to slip away at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
It ended up being a frustrating evening for the Blues. After building a comfortable two-goal advantage, the team were pegged back and had to settle for a point at full-time — a result that felt disappointing given how the game had unfolded.
Cucurella’s absence in the second half raised questions, and Rosenior clarified after the match that it was not a tactical switch.
“At half-time he felt something in his hamstring,” Rosenior explained. “It wasn’t tactical — it was enforced. Cucu has been excellent for us and we’re hoping it’s nothing serious. We’ll assess him and see if he can be available for the next match.”
Chelsea had looked in control early on, with Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer linking up brilliantly to give the home side a 2-0 lead. However, a costly spell changed everything. A penalty conceded and a lapse in concentration while dealing with a loose ball in the box allowed Leeds to strike twice in quick succession.
Reflecting on those decisive moments, Rosenior admitted his side didn’t manage the situation well enough.
“There were two big moments where we didn’t stay calm,” he said. “Moises Caicedo has been outstanding for me, but he made a poor decision in that instance. Before that, our pressing wasn’t right and that led to the penalty.”
He also pointed out that confusion over a potential handball contributed to the second goal.
“The players thought there was a handball and switched off for a second instead of clearing the danger. Leeds took advantage. After that, their momentum grew.”
Despite dominating large parts of the match and launching wave after wave of attacks in the closing stages, Chelsea couldn’t find a winner.
“For most of the game we were clearly the better team,” Rosenior added. “It’s frustrating that in just five minutes we allowed them back into it. We made poor decisions at key times.”
Still, the head coach saw plenty of positives in his team’s performance — especially in possession and pressing intensity — but emphasized the need for focus across the full 90 minutes.
“The football we played, our energy and pressing, that’s exactly what I want to see. That’s why it hurts even more not to win. If we can stay concentrated throughout, this team has incredible potential. Now it’s about improving those small details.”
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