Injury-Hit Anselmino Awaits Premier League Debut as Martinez Eyes Return

Chelsea’s plans for the weekend clash with Manchester United come with a familiar footnote: Aaron Anselmino will not be involved.

The Argentine defender, signed from Boca Juniors for around £17 million in August 2024, remains a ghost in Chelsea’s Premier League story so far. Highly rated on arrival, he has yet to kick a ball in the division, his time in England instead defined by loans, setbacks and now another spell in the treatment room.

After impressing enough to earn a place at the Olympic Games, Anselmino was sent to Borussia Dortmund on loan once the tournament ended. The move looked like a smart bridge between South America and the Premier League. It never quite became that. Recalled in January, he delivered an emotional farewell in Germany before Chelsea rerouted him to Strasbourg for the second half of the 2025-26 season.

France did not offer the reset he needed. Injuries cut him down again, limiting him to just three appearances. A campaign that was meant to harden him for English football instead became a stop-start struggle for fitness.

Back at Chelsea, his most recent outing came in pre-season against Johor Darul Ta'zim in August. That, too, ended early. He was forced off before the half-hour mark with another injury, a moment that summed up his luck since crossing the Atlantic.

Now, as Chelsea gear up for a Premier League showdown with Manchester United on Saturday, Anselmino is once more confined to the sidelines with an unspecified issue. Head coach Enzo Maresca’s assistant – Alonso – made it clear the club will not rush him.

“He's had a few things, a few injuries and it still will take a few weeks until he's fully fit and we need to be cautious with him because he has had a few of them so he's still not there,” Alonso said.

Chelsea know they are dealing with an asset as much as a player. A 21-year-old central defender with a strong pedigree and a sizeable fee attached cannot be risked lightly. The temptation to throw him in grows with every defensive reshuffle, but the medical reality keeps winning the argument.

While Anselmino waits, another veteran figure could be back ahead of schedule.

Goalkeeper Martinez, who suffered a facial injury in a collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite during Chelsea’s 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, was initially expected to miss up to six weeks. The incident was serious enough to see him stretchered off, the kind of scene that usually signals a long lay-off.

The prognosis has shifted. Chelsea now believe the 34-year-old might return before the international break, with Sunderland a realistic target fixture. If he does, he will play in a protective face mask.

"Yes, there is a chance. We need to still wait for next week, but let's see how things go," Alonso said. "But there is a chance."

So Chelsea head into a key domestic test without the young defender many expected to be part of their future spine, yet potentially with their experienced goalkeeper back earlier than planned.

For Anselmino, the Premier League debut remains on hold. For Martinez, the mask may soon be on – and the gloves back where he wants them.