Chelsea prepare to go head-to-head with old foes Manchester United on Saturday as they aim to continue their strong start to life under Graham Potter in the Premier League.
The Blues have been fortunate of late in keeping the majority of their players fit and firing, although a number of long-term casualties continue to remain out of the picture as they step up their recovery from injury, and Potter will be hoping that no more first team stars are added to that list.
Here is all you need to know about the current state of play at Stamford Bridge and the expected return dates for those on the sidelines.
Conor Gallagher
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher could be a doubt for Saturday's clash with Man United after being forced off the pitch during Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Brentford due to illness.
The 22-year-old made his fifth Premier League start of the season against the Bees but lasted just 15 minutes of the contest before being hauled off after complaining of feeling sick. Potter is hoping that he will have recovered in time for this weekend, although his return to training on Friday provides plenty of encouragement.
Speaking on Friday, Potter said: "Conor has trained today, so he has recovered. We will see how he is over the next 24 hours."
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Reece James
James was the latest name to join Chelsea ’s injury list after picking up a knee injury during the 2-0 victory over AC Milan on October 11, with the right back missing Chelsea’s last two fixtures as a result.
The England international hobbled off after 62 minutes at the San Siro after going down holding his knee. Potter claimed it will take “24 to 48 hours” to know the full extent of his injury, although it has since been revealed that he will not feature for the Blues again until after the World Cup.
Speaking on Friday, Potter said: "He'll be in a brace for four weeks to stabilise the knee, then it’s rehab that will take eight weeks, we think."
N’Golo Kante
Things have gone from bad to worse for N’Golo Kante after it was revealed this week that the Chelsea midfielder will be sidelined for another four months after undergoing successful surgery on his hamstring injury.
The Frenchman has been ruled out of action since picking up the injury against Tottenham on August 14 but returned to first team training at the start of October following his lengthy lay-off. However, after picking up a fresh problem on his return to training, Kante has since undergone surgery and will be forced out of action until February at the earliest.
On Tuesday, an official club statement read: “N’Golo Kante has undergone an operation on his hamstring injury. Following a successful operation, N’Golo is now expected to be sidelined for four months.”
Wesley Fofana
Blues defender Wesley Fofana is also expected to remain out until after the World Cup as he continues his recovery from the knee injury picked up in the 3-0 victory over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge on October 5.
Despite scoring the opener, the centre back was forced off before the end of the first half and has since been ruled out of Chelsea’s last four games. Potter initially believed there may be an outside chance that Fofana could return before the World Cup, although he now faces a huge race against time and the chances of that happening are highly unlikely.
Speaking on October 14, Potter said: “He’s progressing where he was. I don’t think we will see him before the World Cup in terms of playing for Chelsea.”
