"It's difficult" - Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta confirms players are in talks with FIFA over fixture schedule

Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta has blamed the unforgiving fixture schedule for frequent injuries to players, confirming that talks are being held with FIFA to boost player welfare.

Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United squared off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (October 22), with the pair playing out an enthralling 1-1 draw.

During the match, United defender Raphael Varane landed awkwardly while tussling with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Frenchman was in significant pain in the aftermath of the injury and had to leave the field on the hour mark.

While Manchester United are yet to confirm the nature of the injury, it is feared that he could miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November.

After the match, Azpilicueta spoke about the frequent injuries to players, blaming fixture congestion for it. The Chelsea captain said (via the Manchester Evening News):

“It's difficult and it's sad because as players you want to go to the World Cup, but we have this schedule where we have to play for our club and do our best. We are fighting a lot for player welfare because the schedule is crazy.

“Sometimes we have to consider everything and I think we are in conversations with FIFA. It's difficult because I understand that the fans want to see football. We have five subs now but we have in our team a couple of injuries that make it more difficult to rotate. We are playing every few days, but it's how it is and we have to step up.”

If Varane is indeed ruled out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he would add to the growing list of stars missing the tournament due to injuries. Sweden’s Alexander Isak, Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, and the Blues’ N’Golo Kante are some of the other top players who are set to miss the tournament due to respective injuries.

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Chelsea owner Todd Boehly could go after Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo, who was suspended from the Chelsea clash after refusing to come on against Tottenham Hotspur, could earn almost £10 million if United sever his contract. According to the Sun (via Eurosport), the west London outfit could offer some respite to United, as Boehly is open to negotiating a deal to bring the Portuguese to London.

Ronaldo has featured in 12 games for the Red Devils this season, scoring only twice across competitions. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Portugal superstar’s poor form deters Boehly from persuading him.