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Oct 18, 2026, 7:34 AM GMT+1
James is a Senior Editor for GIVEMESPORT with over eight years of experience in the industry.
After graduating from the University of Southampton in 2016 with a degree in history, he joined the company as an Academy member in July 2017 and, after a short time working as a freelancer, was given a full-time role in February 2018.
He primarily covers the biggest stories in the football world but is also comfortable reporting on a variety of other sports including darts, golf, Formula 1, tennis, boxing and athletics.
He has covered some massive events during his time at GIVEMESPORT, including numerous Champions League and World Cup finals, as well as the Olympics in 2020 and 2024.
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Emiliano Martinez has spoken out after the Chelsea goalkeeper suffered a sickening injury during their Premier League match against Everton on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues picked up all three points at Hill Dickinson Stadium as they won 2-0. Pedro Neto scored two second half goals to give his side the victory.
Martinez was unable to finish the match after suffering a horror injury midway through the second half. The Argentine, who signed for Chelsea from Aston Villa in the summer, collided with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite after a free-kick was whipped into Chelsea's box.
The 34-year-old needed urgent medical attention and was given oxygen as he lay on the ground. He received treatment for around nine minutes before being put on a stretcher and rushed to hospital.
Asked about Martinez's condition after the match, Xabi Alonso said: "It was a concussion, but beyond that I do not know. I have only seen one clip of the incident, so we need to wait.
"What we know is that he left the stadium conscious and is now in hospital undergoing precautionary tests. We need to wait. Hopefully it will not be too serious, but at the moment we just have to wait."
The tests revealed that Martinez suffered a jaw fracture and he needed surgery. The 2022 World Cup winner has now posted from his hospital bed after he underwent the procedure. He wrote alongside a picture of himself:
“Thank you all for the messages, the operation went well. The most important thing is that we won with a clean sheet. We'll be back in a few weeks.”
Martinez is now set to be out for an extended period of time. Argentine journalist César Luis Merlo has claimed that Chelsea will be without their starting goalkeeper for around 40 days.
Chelsea have some big games coming up in that period. The Blues have three more games in October. They host Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the Premier League, while they also face Liverpool at Anfield for their Carabao Cup fourth round clash. Martinez will miss all of those games.
If Martinez is indeed out for 40 days, he will also miss Chelsea's Premier League matches against Sunderland, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest in November.
| Games Emiliano Martinez Could Miss |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date |
Opponent |
Competition |
Venue |
| October 24 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
Premier League |
Stamford Bridge |
| October 28 |
Liverpool |
Carabao Cup |
Anfield |
| October 31 |
Manchester United |
Premier League |
Stamford Bridge |
| November 8 |
Sunderland |
Premier League |
Stadium of Light |
| November 21 |
Leeds United |
Premier League |
Stamford Bridge |
| November 27 |
Nottingham Forest |
Premier League |
The City Ground |
Mike Penders came on for his Chelsea debut against Everton and will deputise for Martinez in the Argentine's absence. Penders, who signed for the Blues from Genk in 2025, is highly-rated in west London.
Just 21 years old, Penders spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Strasbourg. He played 50 times in all competitions for the French side.
The Belgian performed well in his first taste of Premier League action and Chelsea will be hoping he can be a reliable presence between the sticks for as long as Martinez is out.