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Branislav Ivanovic Injured Himself Trying To Keep Up With Chelsea’s Timo Werner

Branislav Ivanovic Injured Himself Trying To Keep Up With Chelsea’s Timo Werner

Veteran defender sacrificed his own hamstring for unlikely burst of speed.

Alex Reid

Alex Reid

West Brom defender Branislav Ivanovic lasted just 12 minutes against Chelsea after an heroic, hamstring-shredding effort to keep pace with Timo Werner.

Chelsea were 1-0 up (in a game they would stunningly go on to lose) when the rapid German striker picked up the ball and raced free on the break. The 37-year-old Ivanovic - introduced to the game as a first-half substitute for Dara O'Shea - has never been known for his speed.

But somehow, Ivanovic manfully strove to keep up with Werner - literally straining every sinew, it turns out - and just did enough to keep up, then put him off shooting in the box.

Unfortunately, it came at a cost for the Serbian veteran.

He didn't immediately pull up, but the former Blues hero did leave the game straight away afterwards with a hamstring injury as the substitute himself was substituted after less than 13 minutes on the pitch. Oh dear.

However it all surprisingly turned out remarkably well for Sam Allardyce's relegation-threatened side.

Chelsea were already down to 10 men when Ivanovic limped off (after Thiago Silva's red card), but few would have foresaw what was to come as the visitors ripped Chelsea apart, scoring five goals to win 5-2 and hand Thomas Tuchel his first defeat as Blues boss.

Matheus Pereira's brace in first half stoppage time gave West Brom the lead - but it was Robinson (who arrived onto the pitch for Ivanovic) who scored a second-half brace to take the game away from Chelsea completely.

Ivanovic - who won a host of trophies during his 10-year spell at Stamford Bridge - was perhaps watching on with mixed feelings as he nursed his injury.

But his lung-busting effort to keep up with Werner was definitely an example of the attitude West Brom showed as they pressed and harried Chelsea to earn three points via a huge upset.

Featured image credit: BT Sport

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Topics: Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Timo Werner, Premier League