If Chelsea's injury issues weren't bad enough then they just got worse. Currently out of action are Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ben Chilwell, N'Golo Kante and Armando Broja.
Meanwhile, there are uncertain returns for Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly and Mateo Kovacic from the World Cup, all of whom struggled with fitness before the international break. Kepa Arrizabalaga was also sidelined at that stage.
Although the expectation is for James, Fofana and Loftus-Cheek to be ready once the Premier League starts up again on December 27 for the Blues, Chilwell and Broja are likely to be out for most of if not the rest of the campaign and Kante hasn't been seen since August.
READ MORE: Rafael Leao Chelsea transfer mission must overcome one Romelu Lukaku question before £100m move
It's a set of injuries to key players that has Graham Potter in a stranglehold when it comes to not only tactical choices but team selection in general. He has had to be innovative to come up with choices to balance his XI, and major cracks in the squad became clear in a torrid run of results in November.
Chelsea's squad has been in need of repair for a while and the spate of players in the treatment room has only accelerated their push for new players in the January window. David Fofana is expected to join next month as a striker, effectively replacing Broja, but the teenager isn't a readymade answer to the goalscoring issues.
During the break, Potter has had the chance to look at players already at the club in the youth set-up for answers, and several names have been amongst the standouts. Lewis Hall has earnt himself a first-team place, whilst Omari Hutchinson isn't too far behind him.
In terms of out-and-out goalscorers though, there aren't any, and that has opened up the opportunity for loan players to fill the void.
A major blow has been dealt here as well though, with Huddersfield Town attacker Tino Anjorin being ruled out with a worrying knock of his own by manager Mark Fotheringham. “Unfortunately our playmaker, Tino Anjorin, had an injury in the buildup training session before Sheffield United," he said. "We were planning on starting him and he suffered a really quite bad ankle injury."
Anjorin was one of the brightest sparks of the Chelsea academy coming through and has been likened to Ruben Loftus-Cheek due to his frame and laidback style whilst also running through teams in possession. After being handed his debut under Frank Lampard, Anjorin has struggled to remain fit consistently and broke his foot whilst on loan in Russia in 2021.
His natural talent mixed with the trust Potter is putting in youth players at Cobham could have made himself to becoming an outside option for the manager for the remainder of the first-team season, but this injury has all but ended that slim chance. Fotheringham continued, “We are devastated for him because he worked so hard in our training camp in Spain. He’s put himself in great shape physically, probably the best – and Tino would agree – he’s been in his career so far.”
Anjorin spent the second part of last season at Huddersfield and joined on loan again this term. He has played 17 times for the Terriers in 2022, scoring three times.
READ NEXT:
Todd Boehly's crucial Chelsea January transfer choice to set tone following Armando Broja injury
Todd Boehly inventive £21m Borussia Dortmund plan can break Chelsea January transfer trend
Chelsea's Joao Felix transfer stance revealed following Armando Broja injury news
Ziyech, Hutchinson - Six Chelsea stars to be impacted by Armando Broja's season-ending injury
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
