Martínez expects Chelsea return within weeks after surgery
Emi Martínez has undergone surgery after being injured in Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Everton, with the goalkeeper saying he expects to return within a few weeks.
Martínez gives Chelsea a short-term recovery update
ESPN reported that the 34-year-old was hurt in the 67th minute at Hill Dickinson Stadium, when he collided with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite while trying to punch clear a free kick. Martínez needed extended attention from medical staff before leaving the pitch on a stretcher.
He was replaced in the 75th minute by 21-year-old Mike Penders. Martínez later posted from hospital that his operation had gone well and that he expected to be back within weeks; ABP Live also reported the successful surgery and his recovery update.
Pedro Neto scored both goals as Chelsea took the points, and the Blues kept a clean sheet after the lengthy stoppage. The result was a strong one, but the immediate concern was the condition of a goalkeeper who had to be carried off while receiving oxygen.
Both Martínez and Branthwaite received treatment after the collision. The Everton defender recovered quickly, while Chelsea’s goalkeeper remained down as club medical staff and paramedics assessed him.
Xabi Alonso said Martínez was conscious when he left the stadium and had been taken to hospital for precautionary tests. Alonso described the injury as a concussion, while indicating there was more to assess; no further diagnosis or fixture-by-fixture availability was provided in ESPN’s report.
That distinction matters. Martínez’s own expectation is a return in a few weeks, but it is not a confirmed date for his first match back, and the available reporting does not establish which games he will miss.
Penders’ appearance gives us the only confirmed immediate squad detail: he came on for Martínez and was part of the side that saw out the win. The match report does not establish who will start in goal in subsequent fixtures, so there is no basis to treat his involvement as a longer-term selection decision.
For context, Chelsea’s goalkeeping picture has already drawn attention after a goalkeeper concern against Fulham. That background does not change the limited information available on Martínez’s recovery, but his absence makes the club’s next update important.
For now, the clearest timeline remains the one Martínez gave: he expects to be back within weeks. Chelsea have not supplied a more precise return date or confirmed when he can resume training.
In other news…
Mike Penders’ place in the immediate goalkeeping picture was highlighted when he replaced Martínez at Everton.
The club’s planning between the posts has also been a talking point around Robert Sánchez’s status.
