Chelsea will hope their injury problems do not further worsen during the final days of the international break.
Mauricio Pochettino could be boosted by the return of up to five players for the trip to Newcastle on Saturday, with Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia hopeful over getting their first minutes and Levi Colwill, Conor Gallagher and Malo Gusto looking to shake off minor fitness concerns.
The club are cautious of rushing players back, however, after a torrid time with injuries in the first months of the season.
Here's all the latest Chelsea injuries...
Christopher Nkunku
Summer signing Christopher Nkunku is edging ever closer to making his debut for the club, but Standard Sport understands the forward will not be risked if Mauricio Pochettino or the player believes the he is not ready for his first competitive minutes.
Nkunku, though, has been training individually and could yet prove his fitness in time to face Newcastle. On Wednesday night, he posted a a picture of his involvement in a Chelsea training session to further hint at this imminent return.
Pochettino said before the draw with Manchester City: "We had some conversation and he [Nkunku] said to me I want to be ready for after the international break against Newcastle. I asked him [about playing against City] and he said 'hmmm' and I said 'you are liar'!
"It is close and he is really well. We are happy with him.”
Potential return date: Saturday, November 25 vs Newcastle United
Levi Colwill
The defender missed the thrilling draw with City with a shoulder injury and subsequently dropped out of the England squad.
Colwill is not expected to be ruled out for a significant period, but he has returned to training during the international break and should be available this weekend.
Potential return date: Saturday, November 25 vs Newcastle United
Romeo Lavia
The midfielder is another who is yet to make his debut for the club after arriving during the summer transfer window.
It had been hoped the midfielder would return before the international break but in October suffered a setback in his rehabilitation after an ankle injury.
The weekend game against Newcastle remains a possibility for his first minutes, with Lavia also training on the grass during the break.
Pochettino said earlier in November: "Romeo Lavia is also close. They trained today on the pitch. Hope that next week will be involved with the team and see after. Day by day see when it is possible to play with the team."
Potential return date: Saturday, November 25 vs Newcastle United
Conor Gallagher
The midfielder was carrying a knock heading into the international break, but played 45 minutes of England's 2-0 win over Malta to allay any serious injury fears.
Gareth Southgate said: "He has come with a bit of a knock from the weekend but he walked through the door saying ‘it is a bit sore but I will be fine for Friday’. There was no way he was going home, there was no way he wasn't going to give himself every chance.
"He wasn't able to train for the first few days but he was determined he would be available and that, in a nutshell, is what is going to be one of his greatest strengths which will allow himself to achieve everything he might in the game because his mentality is outstanding."
Potential return date: Saturday, November 25 vs Newcastle United
Malo Gusto
Malo Gusto withdrew from the France Under-21 squad last week.
The right-back featured off the bench in Sunday's 4-4 draw with Manchester City while acting as understudy to Reece James, whose return from a hamstring issue has seen his playing time carefully managed by Mauricio Pochettino.
Gusto finished the match seemingly without any injury complaints and, despite his withdrawal, the damage to his knee ligament is said to be minor. Chelsea have confirmed he is back in training.
Potential return date: Saturday, November 25 vs Newcastle United
Ben Chilwell
After starting the season as a key player under Pochettino, England international Ben Chilwell suffered another hamstring injury during a Carabao Cup win over Brighton in September.
As such, he is not expected back before mid-December.
Pochettino said in October: "I can not tell you [when he will be back]. It is difficult to know. He is away from the training ground now and we will wait for him to come back to see the situation. Hopefully, he can recover as soon as possible."
Potential return date: December 2023
Carney Chukwuemeka
Young midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka was another to have started the season but that has since been disrupted by injury.
The 20-year-old suffered a setback in his return from a knee problem, making his return date unclear.
Potential return date: Unknown
Trevoh Chalobah
Seemingly frozen out of the fold after being linked with a move away from the club in the summer, defender Trevoh Chalobah recently hit a setback in his recovery from a thigh problem.
Potential return date: Unknown
Wesley Fofana
It had seemed hugely unlikely that Wesley Fofana would play at all this season after suffering a long-term knee injury, but last week posted an image of himself wearing football boots with the caption: "After [a] long time."
He added a running emoji, so his rehab appears to be on the right track.
