Anselmino Still Awaiting Chelsea Debut Amid Injury Struggles
In a corner of Chelsea’s squad list, far from the headlines and the weekly debates, Aaron Anselmino’s name lingers like an unanswered question.
Signed from Boca Juniors in August 2024 for around £17 million, the Argentine defender arrived in west London with the usual fanfare that follows a highly rated South American prospect. Yet as Chelsea prepare for Manchester United in the Premier League this weekend, he is still waiting for his first league minute in blue.
His story since landing in SW6 has been anything but straightforward.
A Stop-Start European Journey
Anselmino’s Chelsea career effectively paused before it even began. After the conclusion of an international tournament, the club sent him on loan to Borussia Dortmund, a move designed to fast-track his development in one of Europe’s most fertile environments for young talent.
The spell in Germany never truly settled. Recalled in January, Anselmino delivered an emotional farewell before Chelsea rerouted him to Strasbourg for the second half of the 2025-26 season. France was supposed to offer rhythm and regular minutes; instead, injuries stalked him. He managed just three appearances there, a frustratingly thin return for a player trying to plant a flag in European football.
Back at Chelsea, his last outing came not in the intensity of the Premier League, but in a pre-season friendly against Johor Darul Ta'zim in August. Even that ended prematurely, the defender forced off just before the half-hour mark with yet another injury. The pattern was becoming painfully familiar.
Now, as Manchester United head to Stamford Bridge, Anselmino will again be absent. An unspecified issue keeps him sidelined, and head coach Enzo Maresca’s assistant (here referred to as Alonso in the club’s briefings) is taking no risks.
“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, underlining the need for patience with a player whose body has not yet matched his potential.
For a 21-year-old defender trying to break into one of the most scrutinised squads in Europe, every setback feels heavier. Every missed game is another chance gone.
Martinez Edges Towards Masked Return
If Anselmino’s timeline is stretching out, Gabriel Martinez’s may be accelerating.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper suffered his own scare in Chelsea’s 2-0 win away to Everton, colliding with defender Jarrad Branthwaite and leaving the Hill Dickinson Stadium on a stretcher. The image of him being taken off cast a shadow over an otherwise controlled away victory.
Initial assessments suggested a lay-off of up to six weeks. At his age, with the physical demands of the modern game, that sort of absence can quickly shift the hierarchy in a dressing room.
Yet Martinez has pushed back against that schedule.
Alonso revealed that the veteran could be available earlier than expected, potentially returning against Sunderland before the international break. If he does, he will do so wearing 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.”
It is a small sentence, but for Chelsea it carries weight. A senior goalkeeper, hardened by years at the top level, racing the clock to come back ahead of time sends a message to the rest of the squad about standards, about resilience.
Two Careers at a Crossroads
So Chelsea move towards a key phase of their season with two very different injury stories running in parallel.
On one side, a young defender whose Premier League debut remains stuck in the waiting room, his progress checked again and again by his own body. On the other, a seasoned goalkeeper prepared to strap on a mask and step back into the firing line as soon as he is cleared.
Anselmino’s path will demand caution. Martinez’s return, if it comes against Sunderland, will demand courage.
Both, in their own way, will help define what kind of depth and character this Chelsea squad truly has when the season’s pressure tightens.
