Chelsea are dealing with several injury concerns ahead of the Premier League restart - plus a pair of players who appeared late in the World Cup.
Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech featured in the Qatar third-place play-off ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Bournemouth on December 27.
Reece James, Mason Mount, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Carney Chukwuemeka are all hoping to return for the game.
However, Wesley Fofana, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Armando Broja and Ben Chilwell are out longer-term.
Here is your latest update of Chelsea injuries and return dates...
Reece James
Graham Potter provided an optimistic update on James’ knee injury after he missed the World Cup, although did not commit to the right-back starting against Bournemouth.
He said: “Reece is back in, he’s been training with us. He completed 65 minutes in the week.”
Wesley Fofana
A knee injury in the behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford pushed Fofana’s return back to the new year.
“Wesley had a little setback, which can sometimes happen at the very last stage of rehab, so he will be [out for] a couple of weeks,” his manager stated.
Mateo Kovacic
Potter confirmed in the week that Chelsea are “still waiting” for Kovacic after his World Cup run.
A return against Bournemouth is unlikely, with Nottingham Forest next up on New Year’s Day.
Hakim Ziyech
Ziyech was another yet to return according to Potter in his press conference before the Bournemouth game.
Having not played often for Chelsea under the manager, he said in the week: “He played against Man City, he came on against Newcastle. He was a little bit away from the first XI when we first came, but he’s been involved in the games. He came on in our first game. We know his qualities. We like him as a player.”
N’Golo Kante
Kante’s hamstring injury will keep him out until the games with Tottenham or Leeds at the earliest in the spring.
Potter confirmed: “He’ll be end of February, start of March. It’s a surgery so it’s a minimum period of four months My focus is to help him get back fit as soon as possible, and getting him back on the pitch in the right way, because we haven’t seen him.”
Ben Chilwell
Still absent after missing the World Cup with a hamstring injury, Potter has said Chilwell will at least miss the Bournemouth game with his lay-off likely longer.
No exact timeframe has been put on his return.
Mason Mount
Mount did not feature in the friendly with Brentford on December 20.
It was reported that a slight calf strain kept the midfielder out but he is expected to be fit to face Bournemouth.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Potter did not confirm Kepa will be back from a foot injury for Tuesday’s game.
However, the goalkeeper is reportedly set to be fit to start.
Armando Broja
Broja is set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury he suffered in the mid-season friendly with Aston Villa.
The Albanian posted an update from his hospital bed in the week after a “successful” operation.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Potter has confirmed Loftus-Cheek will miss the Bournemouth game.
The midfielder is on the comeback trail from a calf injury suffered against Newcastle on the last day before the World Cup break.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Potter described Chukwuemeka as “moving forward” with a hamstring issue earlier in the month.
A return date has not been confirmed by the Chelsea boss.
