Charlton fan writer Paul Sullivan worries that injuries sustained in their FA Cup tie against Chelsea could affect their survival hopes.
A reward for promotion? A bye to the third round of the FA Cup. And the prize? A showcase clash with trophy-laden Chelsea under The Valley lights.
For Charlton fans, it was the kind of glamorous tie that reminds you why the cup still matters.
Yet as the fog rolled in to SE7 on a bitterly cold January night, you had to wonder, has the occasion come at a cost?
The concern was not so much the 5–1 defeat by the Club World Cup Champions, but the sight of Amari'i Bell grimacing again with that recurring hamstring issue. Tyreece Campbell joined the injury list too.
Boss Nathan Jones would never have risked Bell in a routine third round tie against Port Vale but this was too big a night to pass up.
The build-up had been special. Chelsea arrived with a new head coach in Liam Rosenior and The Valley buzzed with an expectant crowd of 26,475 with the pyrotechnics dancing before kick-off.
Going into first-half added time, we were holding our own before Jorrel Hato struck.
After the restart, we attacked the Covered End with gusto but criminally we conceded from a simply worked set piece to go two down from a header by Tosin Adarabioyo, who scored on his last visit to The Valley for Blackburn Rovers in February 2020.
When Miles Leaburn pulled one back, the Charlton fans were in raptures.
It was crucial to consolidate and quell any Chelsea counter-offensive but our defenders did not follow instructions that were delivered circa 30 times in training from Jones, and The Blues all but killed our hopes with a two-goal margin restored.
Chelsea's world-class quality took full advantage.
Once the shackles came off, it became showtime for the visitors, who added two late goals to give the scoreline an unnecessarily cruel edge.
Leaburn's goal, though, should do him the world of good and is reward for his recent performances as well as a confidence booster against elite opposition.
Among the positives, Will Mannion impressed between the posts, perhaps staking a real claim over Thomas Kaminski.
In truth, the focus must now shift to upcoming home matches against Sheffield United and Derby County.
The FA Cup was a spectacle, no question. But Bell's injury could cast a long shadow over the more important fight ahead - staying clear of that relegation dotted line.
Category: General Sports
