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Chelsea’s Nkunku Hurts Knee in Preseason Game, Could Miss Start of Premier League

Christopher Nkunku #45 of Chelsea FC controls the ball while defended by Salih Ozcan #6 of Borussia Dortmund during the first half during the pre-season friendly at Soldier Field on August 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Justin Casterline/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Justin Casterline / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Christopher Nkunku #45 of Chelsea FC controls the ball while defended by Salih Ozcan #6 of Borussia Dortmund during the first half during the pre-season friendly at Soldier Field on August 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Justin Casterline/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Justin Casterline / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
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Chelsea’s Nkunku Hurts Knee in Preseason Game, Could Miss Start of Premier League

Christopher Nkunku #45 of Chelsea FC controls the ball while defended by Salih Ozcan #6 of Borussia Dortmund during the first half during the pre-season friendly at Soldier Field on August 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Justin Casterline/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Justin Casterline / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Christopher Nkunku #45 of Chelsea FC controls the ball while defended by Salih Ozcan #6 of Borussia Dortmund during the first half during the pre-season friendly at Soldier Field on August 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Justin Casterline/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Justin Casterline / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Newly signed Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku might miss the start of the Premier League season after coming off injured in the team's final preseason game in the United States.

The France international was substituted midway through the first half of the 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund in Chicago on Wednesday after falling to the ground clutching his leg.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said Nkunku felt “something in his knee.”

“The doctors are checking him and I hope it is not a big issue,” Pochettino said.

“We hope he can be back quickly with the team. We need a few days to assess him.”

Nkunku, who joined from Leipzig for 52 million pounds ($67 million), has been a regular starter for Chelsea in its preseason games. If he does miss the start of the season, it may open the door for another offseason signing — Nicolas Jackson — to start up front.

Chelsea's first Premier League game is at home against Liverpool on Aug. 13.

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Government: Soccer-related Arrests Have Risen in England

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group D - General view of Wembley Stadium ahead of the England v Croatia match - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - June 12, 2021 REUTERS/Carl Recine/File Photo
Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group D - General view of Wembley Stadium ahead of the England v Croatia match - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - June 12, 2021 REUTERS/Carl Recine/File Photo
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Government: Soccer-related Arrests Have Risen in England

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group D - General view of Wembley Stadium ahead of the England v Croatia match - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - June 12, 2021 REUTERS/Carl Recine/File Photo
Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group D - General view of Wembley Stadium ahead of the England v Croatia match - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - June 12, 2021 REUTERS/Carl Recine/File Photo

Soccer-related arrests are the on rise in England and Wales, the UK government said on Thursday. The highest number of cases were recorded at West Ham matches for the third year in a row, The Associated Press reported.
There were 2,584 football-related arrests in the 2023-24 season — a 14% increase on the previous year, figures released by the Home Office showed.
The government said the rise was driven by arrests relating to the possession of class A drugs and this year's European Championship in Germany.
The rate of arrests over the season was 5.5 per 100,000 fans attending matches in the top six levels of men’s English soccer, the Welsh league and the top two levels of women's soccer. Statistics also covered matches involving the England and Wales national teams, the Champions League final staged at Wembley Stadium, and age group matches.
“It is important that these figures are put into context. Last season around 47 million people attended men’s domestic and international matches, the highest number we have on record, and the vast majority of football fans are law-abiding citizens who want to support their team," said chief constable Mark Roberts, who is the lead for soccer policing in the UK. “However, there are a small number of fans who commit offences, and we will continue to work closely with (prosecutors) and our other partners to ensure that those responsible are held accountable."
According to the figures, there were no arrests at women's matches, despite their growing popularity and increased attendances.
Figures showed 281 arrests related to Euro 2024.
The club with the highest number of arrests was West Ham, with 103. Manchester City and Manchester United were joint second with 88. Arsenal was fourth (85) and Chelsea sixth (67).
West Ham also had the highest number of banning orders (93), with Man United second (89). Second-tier Millwall was third with 82 banning orders.
A banning order can last from three to 10 years and can be issued by courts for reasons such as a conviction for a soccer-related offense.
There were 825 new banning orders, the highest number since 2010-11.
The most common type of arrest was for public disorder, which made up 43% of cases, with violent disorder making up 19%. Possession of class A drugs accounted for 13%.
The throwing of missiles was the most commonly reported incident, at 416 matches, with pyrotechnics reported at 394 matches.
There were reports of hate crime incidents in 341 matches, which related to issues including race (226) and sexual orientation (113).
There were 423 incidents of online hate crime.