Graham Potter has quelled fears that Conor Gallagher will be unavailable for Chelsea against Manchester United at the weekend. The Blues extended their unbeaten run under new management to six games after drawing 0-0 with Brentford.
The west Londoners have a growing injury list amid a congested fixture schedule, all while the race for top-fours heats up. One point separates the two sides heading into the clash with the Red Devils.
Despite having impressed by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, Erik ten Hag's decision to omit Cristiano Ronaldo from the squad to face Chelsea has stolen the headlines. While it's unlikely that the veteran striker's absence will negatively impact United's on-field play, having not featured much under the Dutchman, it will have dampened the mood at Carrington training ground.
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Wit that being said, football.london has taken a look at the injury concerns Potter faces ahead of Chelsea's clash with United at the weekend.
Conor Gallagher
Mateo Kovacic replaced Gallagher inside the opening quarter of an hour of Chelsea's clash with Brentford due to a suspected injury. At first, it seemed as if the 22-year-old had picked up a knee injury after the ball was seen to canon onto his knee with his leg planted in the turf.
But, it turns out that Gallagher just felt ill, which is a huge relief.
What Potter said: "Conor felt ill like he was going to be sick. You could probably see that in the first 15 mins, he wasn't quite himself. Hopefully, it's just a 24-hour thing."
Expected return date: N/A
Thiago Silva
Silva must be carefully managed due to his age amid a congested fixture schedule. At 38, the defender is a risk when tasked with three matches in a week. But, despite this, he is as important as ever at the heart of the Chelsea defence. He was seen smiling in Chelsea's training video yesterday so he could come straight back into the side.
What Potter said: "It's obviously 24/48 hours [since Aston Villa], so we need to make sure the recovery is right for him. But no problems injury-wise. It is just the recovery.
"I have to involve him in the conversations. He is 38 years old and is a man who knows himself better than I do. He's a really important person, a really important player for us, but we have to manage him correctly, and he has to be involved in that process."
Expected return date: N/A
N'Golo Kante
Chelsea have announced that N'Golo Kante has undergone surgery on his hamstring after specialist guidance and is expected to miss four months of action, including the World Cup.
The Frenchman hasn't played since August 14th after leaving the pitch with a hamstring injury against Tottenham and will now miss the winter World Cup too. The statement regarding his update stated: "Following a successful operation, N'Golo is now expected to be sidelined for four months."
What Potter said, prior to the announcement: "Historically, there are things which have happened which are a concern, and we need to get the bottom of that.
"It's a setback in the last stage of his rehab, so again that's worrying. But all we can do is get the right diagnosis, the right consultation and then try and help him get back to full fitness and enjoying his football."
Return date: February 2023
Reece James
James has been ruled out for at least eight weeks with no return before Chelsea break up for the winter World Cup. The 22-year-old is expected to miss the competition due to having a protective boot on for four weeks, though there's a small chance he could be included in Gareth Southgate's squad in the hope of recovering for the end of the tournament.
Hours after Chelsea posted that James wasn't undergoing surgery, he tweeted: "The race against time is on… But we won't give up."
What Potter said: N/A
Expected return date: Unknown
Wesley Fofana
According to French news outlet L'Equipe, Fofana suffered a sprained knee and is set to miss up to four weeks of action. However, Potter doesn't expect the young centre-back to feature before the World Cup break and hasn't given an update since the extent of the injury was announced before playing Wolves.
What Potter said: "He is just progressing where he was. I don't think we will see him before the World Cup."
Expected return date: December 2022
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