While the main story at Chelsea at the moment naturally surrounds their huge spending, the injury crisis Graham Potter has had to deal with is equally as important.
Finally, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Raheem Sterling, Reece James and Ben Chilwell were all involved during Friday’s draw with Fulham, offering Potter a number of boosts before Saturday’s crunch meeting with West Ham.
As promising as that is, however, there is simply no getting away from the fact that Chelsea are missing a number of top quality players, ones likely to make a difference in any team across world football.
Here’s all you need to know on the Chelsea injury front…
The forward lasted only 45 minutes on his home debut against Fulham, coming off at half-time for fellow new arrival Noni Madueke.
Potter has confirmed Mudryk was suffering from a heavy cold which, while hardly ideal, does not seem serious enough to completely rule him out of Saturday’s game.
Christian Pulisic
A knee injury has ruled Pulisic out of the last four games, though the American international did recently announce he would be “back soon” on Instagram.
Quite where he fits in after so many attacking signings is the subject of debate of course, though his return – potentially against West Ham - would at least offer another option in a team lacking goals.
Potter has confirmed Kante, who has been dealing with injuries for well over a year now, has returned to training on an individual basis.
Still, it seems unlikely the midfielder will be rushed back anytime soon, given the extent of his problems.
Wesley Fofana
The £75m summer signing has missed most the campaign thus far but Potter has confirmed Fofana has stepped up his return from injury.
There is a possibility the defender could be involved against West Ham and will likely play before the end of the month even if that comes too soon.
Edouard Mendy
Having undergone surgery on a fractured finger, there is no clear return for Mendy.
Armando Broja
The striker will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his ACL during a midseason friendly.
