Kalidou Koulibaly has been pictured in training at Cobham as Chelsea prepare to welcome Dinamo Zagreb to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening. The 31-year-old defender has missed each of the Blues' previous three games after picking up a knock in the goalless draw with Brentford last month.
He's endured a turbulent start to life at Stamford Bridge, with a change of management not doing him any favours. Koulibaly, who sees his deal at the club expire in 2026, has featured 11 times for the west Londoners this season, keeping six clean sheets in the meantime.
The Senegal international is now expected to return to the Chelsea side for the final Champions League group-stage clash. Graham Potter's side have already booked a place in the round of 16 though the 47-year-old will want to return to winning ways and top the group following the loss to Brighton at the weekend.
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Speaking to the press ahead of Chelsea's trip to the Amex Stadium, Potter was quizzed when Koulibaly will be ready. The Blues boss said: "Koulibaly, game came too soon, outside chance for Wednesday but not for tomorrow."
The centre-half spoke last month on the struggles he had faced adapting to English football. Koulibaly insisted that he's focused on working hard and ensuring that Chelsea pick up wins regardless.
"I expected this," he said. "It is hard to move eight years of my life to come to London. I know that I have reached a big club, one of the best clubs in the world, so everything is hard.
"But we all have to work. I think my time will come. I am easy, I know that it’s a normal process. So I have to keep on working, stay passionate and my time will come.
"I am not worried about anything, I just want Chelsea to win the games as we did at the weekend. We showed a lot of good things this weekend and I am really happy for the team and everybody because we have a good team spirit and it’s difficult when you change a manager. But you see this team is going up and up and I hope that tomorrow we will show a lot of good things to win the game."
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