Callum Hudson-Odoi opens up about injury nightmare

Ghana target, Callum Hudson-Odoi has opened up on the "frustrating" injury that has kept him out towards the end of last season at Chelsea.

The 21-year-old had a positive start to the 2021/22 campaign but was ultimately scuppered by an Achilles injury that developed into something more troubling and problematic.

Hudson-Odoi made 28 appearances for Thomas Tuchel’s side last season and assisted Romelu Lukaku’s opener in the Club World Cup final but hasn’t featured since early March, leading to a summer of intense work in preparation for an important pre-season.

"It (the injury) was a weird one. It was a neurological thing where I had a tweaked nerve in my back and it stemmed all the way down through my body, so it then became difficult for me to retain muscle. There was no power really in my legs and everything was like 'woah'. I was trying to pass the ball 10 yards but I had no power and I couldn’t even do it," he said as quoted by the club's official website.

"I think it was also a post-coronavirus thing from December, which I couldn’t believe because it had been such a long time before. The issue started with my Achilles and then I was trying to use other parts of my body to make up for it, so for example when I was running I wasn’t running on my toes as much because my Achilles power wasn’t that strong.

He added: "I was trying to find another way to run and then it started affecting my back but all of it is good now. My Achilles is strong again and my back is strong so everything is perfect.

"It’s one of those things but I’m glad to be back and to have all my power, strength and speed back is all that I can wish for."