Graham Potter has admitted that he's unsure as to whether Ben Chilwell will start for Chelsea against Southampton amid fears of aggravating an injury. The Blues will welcome the Saints to Stamford Bridge on this afternoon as either side looks to return to winning ways.
While the west Londoners lost to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, several players took huge steps in their road to recovery. Mateo Kovacic, Denis Zakaria and Wesley Fofana all featured on Chelsea bench at the Signal Iduna Park but neither were handed any minutes.
Raheem Sterling, Edouard Mendy, N'Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic didn't travel to west Germany due to injury, though the former of the quartet looks to be making good progress. With a number of big names set to not be included in the Blues squad, if rumours are to be believed, Potter could be left no choice but to fast track a number of returning stars.
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So, with that being said, football.london rounds up everything you need to know about Chelsea's latest injury news and return dates ahead of the clash with Southampton.
Raheem Sterling
The winger returned to action last week after a period on the sidelines. However, he missed out at the weekend against West Ham after unfortunately sustaining a knock in training this week. He has thus missed training in the build-up to the Dortmund tie.
When asked if Sterling is fit, Potter replied: "It's positive. We're going to train later on this afternoon so providing they come through that okay there's every chance they make the squad."
Injury: Knee
Expected return date: Potentially off the bench against Southampton (H) - February 18
N'Golo Kante
Kante has suffered an injury-ridden campaign thus far but the midfielder has finally returned to the pitches at Cobham, albeit training alone. The Frenchman is getting closer to full fitness but, until he joins the first-team group, a debut under Potter is left to be desired.
In a major boost, Kante has been doing individual work at Cobham since the end of last week, a source has told football.london. He is not yet training with his teammates, however, but that is understood to not be too far away from doing so.
football.london understands Chelsea have some hope of Kante returning to team training by the end of the week, or the start of the following week. However, there will be no rush to return him to action too soon.
What Potter said: "N’Golo did his first couple of days out training on his own but there is still a long, long way to go."
Injury: Hamstring
Expected return date: Late February/Early March
Christian Pulisic
Pulisic issued a two-word hint on his Chelsea return date earlier this month as he continues to nurse a knee injury. The 24-year-old came off second best in a collision with John Stones when the Blues locked horns with Manchester City in the Premier League earlier last month.
The winger has posted an image of himself from when he limped off the pitch against City. Pulisic simply captioned his post: "Back soon."
What Potter said: "No chance, no, he will be out past that [January transfer deadline] and there was never any consideration about him leaving anyway. He is a couple of months out.
"He is disappointed but he is optimistic about coming back quicker than two months. He is in that phase where he is keeping his fingers crossed and hoping his rehab goes well."
Injury: Knee
Expected return date: March
Edouard Mendy
Chelsea confirmed that Mendy had undergone an operation on a fractured finger sustained during training, meaning he will be absent from the squad in the coming games. The Senegalese shot-stopper was not in the squad to face West Ham nor has he travelled to Germany.
Injury: Finger
Expected return date: Unknown
Armando Broja
Chelsea are set to be without Broja for sometime 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 with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of form.
Broja is expected to be out for at least the remainder of the season after learning that he needs surgery to fix a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee, football.london understands. He could be out of action for a minimum of five months and a maximum of 12.
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/Autumn 2023
Ben Chilwell
The England left-back limped off on 70 minutes in Germany and after the game Potter said the club will assess the injury over the next few days - though the plan was always for the defender to be substituted at some point after the hour mark in Dortmund.
Injury: Ankle knock
When asked if Sterling is fit, Potter replied: "It's positive. We're going to train later on this afternoon so providing they come through that okay there's every chance they make the squad.
"That's the challenge for us at the moment. He had 30 minutes against West Ham, 70 minutes against Dortmund, so the decision will be based on how he recovers today and how he reports back. We'll make the call tonight or tomorrow about the extent he can play but it's something we have to be mindful of."
Expected return date: Southampton (H) - February 18
Reece James
Potter could be without Reece James for the clash against Southampton. According to reports, the 23-year-old will not be named in the squad to face the Saints - though whether that is through injury or the club being cautious and resting him is yet to be confirmed.
Another absence for the right-back could be damaging for the Blues, given his importance to the team in both attack and defence, and the lack of realistic replacements currently in the squad.
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