Chelsea will have to wait slightly longer than most of their Premier League rivals before returning to action.
The Blues will host Bournemouth on Tuesday, giving them an extra day than many of the other top-flight teams to prepare. But boss Graham Potter is still battling a lengthy injury list, despite having had a month off while the World Cup was held in Qatar.
With Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech yet to return from their own adventures at the World Cup, the west Londoners may have as many as eight players ruled out. Here, Mirror Football rounds up the latest Chelsea injury news and expected return dates.
Wesley Fofana
Wesley Fofana has endured a brutal start to his Chelsea career since joining from Leicester in the summer. He played just six games before suffering a knee injury in October which has ruled him out ever since.
He appeared to suffer a further setback last week when he was forced off during a friendly against Brentford. While Fofana played down that injury scare, Potter admitted that he would still be out for several more weeks.
"Wesley just had a little setback which can sometimes happen at the very last stage of the rehab. It will be a couple of weeks, so he won't be available for the game," the Chelsea boss said.
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Reece James
In more positive news, it appears that Reece James is back to full fitness after being forced to miss the World Cup. The right-back injured his knee during a Champions League win over AC Milan in October.
Gareth Southgate did not include him in his England squad as a result, with James instead spending the World Cup continuing his rehabilitation at Chelsea. It appears that he is ready to return having played more than an hour in the win over Brentford.
"Reece is back in, he’s been training with us. He completed 65 minutes in the week," Potter said. James appears in line to feature against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante's injury issues appear to be going from bad to worse, with Potter confirming he still faces a lengthy lay-off. The midfielder's contract expires at the end of the season and he was forced to undergo surgery on his hamstring in October.
Potter has revealed that the Frenchman will not be able to play until at least the end of February. He said: "He’ll be end of Feb, start of March. It’s a surgery, so it’s a minimum period of four months.
“My focus is to get him back fit as soon as possible. Everyone knows the quality he has. It’s about getting him fit and on the pitch, doing it the right way and getting him on there, because we haven’t seen him.”
Armando Broja
One man who certainly will not be seen before next season is Armando Borja, who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a friendly against Aston Villa. The striker has successfully undergone surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign.
Chelsea have confirmed that he will work with their medical department during his rehabilitation, meaning Potter will be forced to go without the striker, who has thanked fans for their messages of support.
"Pleased to say I underwent a successful operation this morning. Time to rest up before starting my road to recovery. Thank you once again to everyone who has sent messages of support," he wrote on social media.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Spanish goalkeeper Kepa had become Chelsea's first-choice shot-stopper under Potter in a remarkable resurgence after a difficult start to his time at the Blues. But he has been sidelined since the end of October with a foot injury.
He has been stepping up his rehabilitation over the World Cup break and was not mentioned by Potter during his press conference ahead of the clash with Bournemouth.
That may well signal that the keeper is back to full training and is once again available for selection. However, the extent of his progress will not be known until Potter names his starting line-up for the clash with the Cherries.
Ben Chilwell
While fellow full-back James appears to be ready to return to action, Ben Chilwell remains some way off taking to the pitch. The left-back suffered a heartbreaking hamstring injury just before the World Cup which ensured he missed the tournament.
While he travelled to Dubai for the Blues' warm-weather training camp over the break, he is not thought to be close to a return. Potter confirmed that he is "still without" Chilwell, though he is stepping up his rehabilitation.
It is thought the Englishman will be ruled out for at least four more weeks, putting his return date closer to the end of January, if his recovery continues to progress.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has suffered a setback to his hopes of a return, with Potter appearing to rule him out of the clash with Bournemouth. He suffered a calf injury in the defeat by Newcastle in November and did not feature in the friendly against Aston Villa.
According to Football.London, he had to undergo treatment for a knock during the training camp in Dubai and Potter confirmed on Friday that Loftus-Cheek had still not returned to full training.
