Chelsea suffered a major blow ahead of their FA Cup final against Liverpool as star midfielder Mateo Kovacic is set to miss the summit clash at Wembley after picking up a major injury. The Croatian international had to be substituted early from Wednesday's clash against Leeds United as he was unable to continue. Chelsea Agree Terms With LA Dodgers Part-Owner Todd Boehly To Sell Premier League Club.

Mateo Kovacic was forced off in the Blues' latest Premier League encounter after being on the receiving end of a horror tackle from Leeds Dan James. The Welshman was shown a direct red card for the sliding challenge, leaving relegation-threatened Leeds a man down for most of the game.

The Croatian footballer was Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 30th minute with Chelsea leading 1-0 on a Mason Mount goal. Thomas Tuchel in the post-match interview said that the injury is 'not looking good' as the midfielder received a blow on 'the same ankle he had injured already'.

'I tell you not as a coach or an expert but I think it's very unlikely we see him (in the FA Cup final). f Mateo misses it I am very disappointed because he was a clear starter,' the Chelsea boss said when asked about Mateo Kovacic's availability for this week's FA Cup final.

Chelsea will face Liverpool in the FA Cup final at the Wembley Stadium on Saturday. The Blues have secured their third consecutive appearance in the summit and having been on the losing end for the past two occasions, will look to end that poor run.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 12, 2022 11:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).