Chelsea's Kovacic to Miss FA Cup Semi-Final Due to Hamstring Injury

Mateo Kovacic. (Getty Images)
Mateo Kovacic. (Getty Images)
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Chelsea's Kovacic to Miss FA Cup Semi-Final Due to Hamstring Injury

Mateo Kovacic. (Getty Images)
Mateo Kovacic. (Getty Images)

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic will miss Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley due to a hamstring injury, manager Thomas Tuchel said.

Kovacic missed Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League quarter-final second leg defeat by Porto, though Chelsea still reached the last four 2-1 on aggregate and will face either Real Madrid or Liverpool.

"(On Monday) in training he got a muscle injury in his hamstring after 20 minutes, more or less out of nothing," Tuchel said after Tuesday's game.

"He is for sure out for the game against City as well, which is a big loss."

Tuchel started N'Golo Kante in Kovacic's absence, with the France international playing the full game after returning from a hamstring problem.

"N'Golo is incredible," Tuchel said. "We took a little risk with N'Golo but this was the moment to put him on the field and hope he had the energy for 90 minutes.

"He wins so many balls and gives everybody confidence. He did perfect and now it's time to recover good."



Arab Parliament Speaker: Saudi Arabia's Bid to Host 2034 FIFA World Cup Receives Highest Rating

File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)
File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)
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Arab Parliament Speaker: Saudi Arabia's Bid to Host 2034 FIFA World Cup Receives Highest Rating

File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)
File photo: Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, submitted the Kingdom's bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France, in July 2024. (SPA file photo)

The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammed Ahmed Al Yamahi, described the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup as receiving the highest rating in the history of the global event.
He hailed this achievement as a significant success for all Arabs in securing the opportunity to host major international events. Al Yamahi expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia would organize the tournament with exceptional excellence and capability, bringing pride and honor to the entire Arab world, the Saudi Press Agency said on Monday.
Al Yamahi emphasized in a statement that this new achievement adds to the Kingdom's record of accomplishments across various fields, including sports.
He attributed this success to the unwavering support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, under the framework of Saudi Vision 2030.
Al Yamahi emphasized that their leadership and vision have been instrumental in achieving this historic milestone for the Kingdom and the Arab world.