Graham Potter will likely be determining the availability of several of his Chelsea players today following the conclusion of the March international break. The Blues take on Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday where Potter could be without a number of key stars.
Cobham was likely a quiet venue the past fortnight with multiple Chelsea stars representing their countries in European qualifiers. However, two of those players away from west London in Kai Havertz and Reece James returned early from international duty and are therefore weekend doubts.
For others, notably N'Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic, the break provided the perfect opportunity to get minutes in the tank on the training pitch and send a clear message to Potter they are ready for more game time. Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Edouard Mendy and Armando Broja are still expected to be absent and they could be joined by two stars who will likely face late fitness tests.
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With that said, football.london has rounded up all the injury news from Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea's Saturday evening meeting with Aston Villa.
Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz is the latest name on the list of doubts for Graham Potter after the forward returned from international duty with Germany. In a statement on social media, Germany confirmed Havertz was set to return to Chelsea through illness which has since been labelled as a flu infection, but it is hopeful he can recover in the week and will be available for Saturday's match.
Injury: illness
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
Reece James
Reece James withdrew from the England squad to take on Ukraine on Sunday evening due to an 'ongoing issue' with a minor hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old Chelsea defender has struggled with injury problems all season-long and unfortunately, it looked like another setback. James came on in Thursday night's impressive win against Italy but was only on the pitch for just over five minutes after replacing Bukayo Saka.
England released the following statement on James: "Reece James has withdrawn from the England squad and will not feature against Ukraine on Sunday. The full-back has returned to Chelsea for an assessment on an ongoing issue."
However, it appears this withdrawal may have simply been a precaution, after he was pictured during training on Tuesday, suggesting his return date could be imminent.
Injury: Hamstring
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante returned to the Chelsea matchday squad before the international break for the clash against Everton. The Frenchman played 60 minutes in a development squad victory over Charlton last Friday.
What Potter said: "N'Golo's due to carry on training Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with potentially a game to give him some minutes."
Injury: Hamstring
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
Mason Mount
Mason Mount has missed a number of games recently due to various injury issues. He has been in and out of training, but returned last Tuesday along with a number of other teammates.
However, despite originally being called up, Mount also had to pull out of Gareth Southgate's England squad.
What Potter said: "It's the same with Mason. He'll miss the England camp as well."
Injury: Lower abdomen
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
Raheem Sterling
After scoring a crucial goal against Borussia Dortmund, Sterling has faced another brief spell out of the team with Potter confirming the winger had a fresh fitness concern. He was also left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for the international break as a precaution.
His spell on the treatment table appears to be behind him though, after the club confirmed he was back in training on Tuesday.
What Potter has said: "Raheem has a problem with his hamstring. It's not too serious but he'll miss the game at the weekend and the international trip."
Injury: Hamstring
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
Edouard Mendy
In January, Chelsea confirmed that Mendy underwent surgery on a fractured finger which he sustained during training. After an extended period of time on the sidelines, the Senegal international finally made his return to training last week, pictured alongside his fellow goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga and Marcus Bettinelli.
Injury: Finger
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
Wesley Fofana
Potter revealed Fofana had been taken off against Everton due to fatigue, while he was also "feeling his hamstring", with many suspecting the defender had picked up another injury. The Frenchman was spotted in the dugout at Stamford Bridge with an ice pack on his right thigh, leaving some supporters to fear the worst.
As such, he remained in England in an effort to make a return against Aston Villa. The 22-year-old did send a cryptic social media message to seemingly give an update on his condition, perhaps suggesting the situation wasn't as concerning as initially feared, as now looks to be the case after he was also pictured in training this week.
What Potter has said: "Wes Fofana had to come off with fatigue, as he has had a long time out. He was feeling his hamstring. Wes was fantastic and defended well."
Injury: Hamstring
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
Cesar Azpilicueta
Azpilicueta sustained a concussion against Southampton following a collision with striker Sekou Mara. The defender left the pitch on a stretcher and was taken to hospital but he's on the mend now as he eyes a return.
What Potter said: "Azpilicueta had a knock in training, he's had a problem there."
Injury: Concussion
Expected return date: Aston Villa (H) - April 1
Thiago Silva
Silva was forced off with a knee injury in the Blues' clash with Tottenham. The following Tuesday, Chelsea released a statement detailing his diagnosis.
The time off has been detailed as roughly six weeks, meaning he should return to action in early April. His wife has since posted a video of him getting treated at their home, writing on Instagram: "The needles are on top of the ligament, emitting shocks due to use, it hurts so much."
What Potter said: "Thiago will be around that time [six weeks], not sure exactly."
Injury: Knee
Expected return date: April
Armando Broja
Chelsea have been without Broja for a while now after the striker suffered a knee injury in a mid-season friendly against Aston Villa. The 20-year-old screamed in pain following a collision with Ezri Konsa and he was subsequently stretchered off the field of play.
He looked to be in considerable pain and was seen to be clutching his leg as he was tended to by medical staff. The Albania international had no history of knee injuries and his injury is a major blow.
Broja has been expected to be out for at least the remainder of the season after learning that he needed surgery to fix a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee, football.london reported at the time. However, he's recently been pictured back in individual training at Cobham, albeit mostly gym work.
What Potter said: ''It was just an unfortunate action. He got caught up with their player and the ground. It doesn’t look positive at the moment but it’s too early to say. Fingers crossed but it is an awkward one.''
Injury: Knee
Expected return date: Summer 2023
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