Mauricio Pochettino admits Reece James’ card is a “painful” blow for Chelsea following the 2-1 win at Brighton.
The captain, a belated substitute, but temporarily sent off for sending off Joao Pedro and now faces a four-match suspension.
Danny Welbeck’s stoppage-time goal gave Chelsea a long-awaited scare after Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku gave them a two-goal lead.
Asked about James’ red card, Pochettino replied: “No, I didn’t see it. It’s hard to give my opinion because I didn’t have time to see the action. But it’s painful [for us] because it’s a fantastic night of football and he’s a vital player. Now he will miss the next game and some games next season.
Mykhailo Mudryk also suffered a head injury in the first half, when Tariq Lamptey blocked the Ukrainian and punched him in the face. VAR checked the incident for violent conduct, but replays were inconclusive.
Asked if Mudryk was OK, Pochettino replied: “No, it’s not OK, we’re checking. He was a little dizzy, but we use concussion substitution and the rule is seven days, so he possibly won’t be available for the next one. “There’s still nothing wrong with the game.
Chelsea are in a dominant position to qualify for Europe in sixth position and just want one more point to secure their qualification for the Conference League, with Europa League hopes still alive.
“I’m very satisfied with the players, they deserve all the credit for what we did, our technique in the game and the attempt to apply all the work we were doing in the educational field. I’m proud,” Pochettino said.
“Playing against a team like Brighton is difficult here. We are very satisfied because all three issues mean that we are closer to achieving what we want. “