Chelsea are battling a growing injury crisis ahead of Tuesday’s London derby against Arsenal, compounding their ongoing struggles under Frank Lampard.
The mid-table Blues currently have seven players on the sidelines as they desperately seek an end to a five-match losing run at the Emirates Stadium and deal another blow to Mikel Arteta’s fast-fading title hopes in the process.
It has been a nightmare second spell in charge so far for Chelsea icon Lampard, who has lost every game at the temporary helm after a typically listless 2-0 home west London derby defeat by Brentford on Wednesday.
With Mauricio Pochettino waiting in the wings to take over, the former England midfielder is frantically searching for a lift with difficult tests against Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle also still to come before the end of a truly miserable campaign.
Here are the latest Chelsea injuries and possible return dates before the clash with Arsenal...
Chelsea’s top scorer this term with nine goals, Havertz has not played since the Champions League quarter-final second-leg defeat by Real Madrid on April 18.
The German international has been struggling with a niggling knee issue, though seems likely to be fit to play some part against Arsenal.
“Kai is still struggling with his knee but should be available for the end of the week,” Lampard said before the defeat by Brentford.
One player who won’t feature for Chelsea again this term is James. The England right-back has endured an injury-plagued campaign, missing long periods and the World Cup in Qatar.
He suffered his latest hamstring injury in the second-leg loss to Madrid and was promptly ruled out for the remainder of the season by Lampard after a scan. But he should surely be fine for the start of pre-season in the summer, barring any further setbacks.
Joining James on the sidelines until the summer is England colleague Mount. After a tough season in which he has often struggled for starts, the academy graduate has been bothered by an ongoing pelvic issue.
Lampard ruled him out for the season also earlier this week, with Mount later undergoing successful surgery and posting a picture from his hospital bed on Thursday.
“Had a minor procedure yesterday to sort out a discomfort I had for a while,” he wrote on social media.
“Everything went well and I’m feeling good. Time to rest but can’t wait to get back to training in the coming weeks!
“Thanks for all your messages of support and a massive thank you to the medical team, doctors and nurses for looking after me.”
It remains to be seen if Mount will play for Chelsea again, with his contract due to expire next summer and clubs - including Liverpool and Manchester United - queuing up for a cut-price deal.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Centre-back Koulibaly has a hamstring injury suffered at the Bernabeu earlier this month that has seen him miss the last three matches.
Lampard admitted last week that the issue would need weeks rather than days to heal, with Koulibaly surely unlikely to play any part against Arsenal on Tuesday. He is expected back this season, though.
Marc Cucurella
The newest addition to Chelsea’s growing injury list, Cucurella started the second leg against Madrid with Ben Chilwell serving a suspension after his red card at the Bernabeu.
However, the Spaniard then missed out altogether on the squad for Brentford, with Lampard revealing before kick-off that he was injured.
He expanded on the issue after the game, saying Cucurella would miss a few weeks with a thigh complaint suffered in training at Cobham. However, he too seems likely to play before the season’s end.
Armando Broja
The third of Chelsea’s long-term absentees, alongside James and Mount. Broja last played for the club during a mid-season friendly against Aston Villa in Dubai in December, in which he was stretchered off with a serious knee injury.
It quickly emerged that the Albanian striker had torn his ACL and would need surgery, ruling him out for the season. Broja will be focused on getting back fit for pre-season.
Marcus Bettinelli
Chelsea’s third-choice goalkeeper behind Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy is also currently nursing an injury, Lampard confirmed after the game against Brentford.
However, the interim boss did not say anything specific about the issue, only that the former Fulham No1 is “recovering”. Gabriel Slonina, 18, is the other first-team goalkeeper on Chelsea’s books at present and would likely get a call-up if anything were to happen to Kepa or Mendy with Bettinelli out.
