Chelsea Football Club has brought back Dr. Chris Hughes in an effort to address their persistent injury woes, working in conjunction with new head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Hughes will assume the role of Head of Academy Medical and also serve as the first-team doctor, overseeing the club's medical department.

Having previously worked at Chelsea from September 2012 to January 2017, Hughes left the club to join Pochettino's staff at Tottenham. Now, the duo has reunited with a shared mission to rectify Chelsea's dismal injury record, which significantly hampered their performance last season, resulting in a 12th-place finish.

Chelsea endured a staggering total of 48 injuries last season, surpassing all other Premier League clubs in terms of injury count.

In response to these concerns, the medical, physiotherapy, and fitness departments underwent a comprehensive restructuring during the season. A review conducted by external firm Remedy in September prompted significant changes, leading to the departure of over 50% of staff members from the Roman Abramovich era, including former medical director Paco Biosca.

The situation at Cobham, Chelsea's training ground, was characterized by a sense of disarray, which fueled complaints about the club's injury record. Reece James and Wesley Fofana, among others, experienced setbacks when attempting to return to play in December.

Notably, both Graham Potter and Frank Lampard publicly voiced their concerns about the team's underperformance last season, citing injuries and a lack of fitness in the squad as contributing factors. Photo by thearcticblues from United States of America, Wikimedia commons.