Chelsea still have a long list of injuries and are nevertheless looking to find some consistency with Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues’ absence count has remained in double figures in recent weeks as early momentum built after 3 consecutive wins in all competitions, temporarily stifled by a surprise defeat at Middlesbrough in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
But Chelsea responded to that latest setback with a hard-fought home win over Fulham in a Premier League west London derby on Saturday, with a valuable break now before they host Boro again in the return clash at Stamford Bridge on January 23, followed just three days later by an FA Cup fourth round showdown with high-flying Aston Villa.
Chelsea also travel to Liverpool at the end of the month before February sees matches against Wolves, Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Tottenham.
Here’s all the latest news on Chelsea’s injuries and possible return dates, with Trevoh Chalobah now back in education but Nicolas Jackson absent at the African Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Nkunku has made just four competitive appearances for Chelsea and just one start since his £52m summer transfer from RB Leipzig, having seen his long-awaited return from a serious knee injury sustained in pre-season hampered by a hip problem. .
Pochettino sparked fear by admitting he was “worried” about the scenario last week and hinting at possible movement solutions, although Standard Sport understands that Nkunku now expects to return to training at Cobham this week and is confident he will be compatible with facing Middlesbrough.
Possible return date: Tuesday 23 January against Middlesbrough
Like Nkunku, injuries mean Lavia has played lightly since joining Chelsea from Southampton in the summer.
The Belgian midfielder finally got over his long-term ankle issue, only to then suffer a thigh problem on his Blues debut against Crystal Palace just after Christmas.
It is not yet known at this level when Lavia will return.
Possible Return Date: Unknown
First-choice goalkeeper Sanchez has not featured for more than a month due to a knee issue that forced him off late in the 2-0 defeat at Everton on December 10.
Ahead of the game against Fulham, Pochettino said Sanchez had gotten a positive opinion from a specialist and was back on the education pitch.
He added that the Spaniard will now intensify his race to see how the knee reacts.
If there are no hiccups, we may see him back sometime in the next few weeks; he will face a fierce war to regain his starting spot against impressive Serbian assistant Djordje Petrovic.
Possible return date: due in January/early February
It was another injury-plagued crusade for the Chelsea captain, who underwent surgery for his new hamstring problem in December.
Pochettino said at the time that he expected this to take weeks, not months, but that he could not set a timetable for the right-back’s recovery after reports indicated he could be absent for up to four months.
Possible Return Date: Unknown
The young French midfielder suffered a comeback from a hamstring injury in the defeat to Wolves on Christmas Eve.
Pochettino has since presented a public update, but reports from France imply he could be absent for six weeks.
Potential return date: Late February
The Spanish full-back last played for Chelsea Everton in early December after injuring his ankle at Goodison Park.
He later showed on social media that he had undergone surgery and claimed that he could be out for 3 months.
Possible return date: March
The unlucky Fofana suffered a serious ACL injury in pre-season that required surgery. He is not expected to play at all this term as things stand.
Possible comeback date: Summer 2024
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