Chelsea are doing everything it takes to see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang return to action after suffering an injury prior to penning a deadline-day switch from Barcelona. The 33-year-old's jaw was broken by house robbers just days before swapping the Camp Nou for Stamford bridge.
So, according to The Times, the Blues have flown out Aubameyang to Milan to be fitted with a mask so that he can feature for the club as soon as possible. The striker was attacked and robbed at his home in Castelldefels by four people wearing masks, who were armed with guns and iron bars, Barcelona officials confirmed on Monday, August 29.
The former Arsenal captain will be treated by Milan-based orthopaedic specialists Ortholabsport. Thomas Tuchel has refused to rule Aubameyang out of Tuesday night's Champions League group stage opener versus Dinamo Zagreb, where he is thought to make his Chelsea debut.
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Speaking to football.london in the pre-match press conference ahead of the west Londoners' clash with West Ham, Tuchel confirmed the Gabon international's absence. He said: "At the moment, he cannot train, we just have make sure he gets a mask. We need to provide him a mask to protect his jaw and then we can start to try with the mask from next week."
"He has a good heart, he's a top character, this is how I knew him," Tuchel added. "I'm 100 per cent sure he will fit into our dressing room.
"While he was my player, he was always positive, he never missed training, he was never injured. Hopefully, it will stay like this because he was always happy and in a good state of mind. He influences the group in a very positive way.
"This is how I remember Auba, this is how I felt him when I met him here in London when he was playing for Arsenal. This is what we expect from him."
Then, speaking on Aubameyang, controversially, taking the number nine shirt, Tuchel said: "It's on me to find a position and to create enough support for him and on him to finish our attacks, be strong and be on the pitch.
"I'm not sure if he took the number nine, I'm not aware of his number at the moment. If he did, I think he is not afraid of the past and what a number means. He is ready to write his own history. If he is brave enough to take the nine, he takes the nine."
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