Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has started his recovery following a nasty blow to the jaw in the 2-0 victory over Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Argentine suffered a heavy collision in the 66th minute of the game as he and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite collided while going for the ball in the penalty area.
Chelsea substitute Mike Penders was brought on to replace the injured Martinez, making his Premier League debut. The 21-year-old joined the Blues back in 2024 but had since spent the following two seasons out on loan, with just two League Cup appearances for the club under his belt.
Following the match, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso was asked for an update on the 34-year-old.
He told the club's in-house media: “As far as I know, he left the stadium conscious and right now he is in the hospital doing precautionary tests.”
Later on Saturday night, Martinez himself posted an update on Instagram, thanking everyone for their support and confirming that he had undergone surgery that would keep him out for a number of weeks.
According to Argentine journalist Germán García Grova, the Blues goalkeeper will be unavailable for the next 45 days, potentially extending to 60 days. The timeframe will also mean he misses Argentina’s next two international friendlies next month.
The Blues take on Tottenham, Manchester United and Sunderland in the Premier League. The west London side will also travel to Liverpool in the League Cup, but Martinez would be unlikely to feature in that match anyway, given that he is not the club’s designated cup goalkeeper.
Immediately after the international break, Chelsea host Leeds United on November 21 and then travel to the City Ground one week later to take on Nottingham Forest.
The following month opens with back-to-back home games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool before travelling to the Etihad to face Manchester City on December 12. Given the timeline, a 60-day absence could extend into the first half of December.
If the Manchester City clash were to come too soon for the goalkeeper, Chelsea’s match against his former club, Aston Villa, takes place at Stamford Bridge a week later. Penders has been waiting for a run of matches, and there is no better time to take it.
Is Penders ready to take the step up?
The Belgian goalkeeper has rarely had a chance to impress since his £17 million move from Genk in 2024. With back-to-back loan spells, most recently at Strasbourg, it is difficult to form an overall opinion without looking at the data.
At international level, he is currently the backup option to Manchester United’s Senne Lammens. At Stamford Bridge, he has also been second choice, with Martinez first choice between the sticks.
With Chelsea not competing in European competition, opportunities have been sparse for the 21-year-old to lay down a marker. His only real chance has come in the League Cup, a competition in which the Blues have now reached the fourth round.
Penders’ full debut against Luton Town in the second round saw him register a clean sheet, but he faced only one shot over the course of the 90 minutes. Matters were different in the 6-3 victory over Leeds United, as he made three saves, all of which came from shots inside the penalty area.
Critics will say he should have done better with the visitors’ first goal, but that could also be put down to Chelsea’s defensive woes, which have hampered the opening weeks of the season.
With Penders’ first Premier League start looming against rivals Tottenham, there is no better opportunity to prove that he is capable of more than being the club’s second-choice goalkeeper.