Reece James has not been included in the 23-man squad submitted by Chelsea to FIFA for this week's Club World Cup despite travelling to Abu Dhabi with the squad on Sunday afternoon.
The wing-back is nearing a return following a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since the 1-1 draw against Brighton in late December.
James had been expected to miss out on this week's tournament in the United Arab Emirates but the club yesterday said that he had made the trip, fuelling speculation that he could return ahead of schedule.
