Chelsea injury news – The Blues are expected to welcome back numerous top players after the international break as Mauricio Pochettino hopes to return to winning ways.
Mauricio Pochettino may be unable to call upon Romeo Lavia for a few more weeks after the international break. The Belgian midfielder was signed from Southampton during the summer transfer window for a fee in the region of £58million – but he is yet to make his first appearance for the Blues.
Chelsea agreed not to play Lavia before the international break, but reports have suggested the youngster has torn a muscle on his ankle. Armando Broja, Reece James and Benoit Badiashile are another set of players spending the next two weeks in training as they hope to return from injuries with a clear comeback game for the latter now known.
With that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest Chelsea injury news as Pochettino prepares some of his players for their Premier League return against Bournemouth.
Benoit Badiashile
Badiashile missed the opening weeks of the season with a hamstring injury picked up at the end of the 2022/23 season, but a return is very close. football.london understands that Chelsea are expecting to have Benoît Badiashile fit for selection for their Premier League match with Bournemouth after the international break.
Romeo Lavia
Lavia is yet to feature for Chelsea, with Pochettino eager for him to catch up to the rest of the squad’s fitness levels before getting involved. The Belgian midfielder is said to have suffered a muscle tear on his ankle during the international break which could delay his debut for the Blues further
An ankle sprain injury usually takes between one to three weeks to heal which may see Lavia miss the Bournemouth clash after the international break.
What Pochettino has said: “He needs a few weeks to be ready to be involved with the team. He is working to try and catch his teammates. For Romeo we need to wait a few weeks.”
Expected return date: Unknown.
Reece James
Still recovering from his hamstring injury he suffered in training, James updated supporters with a message on his Instagram claiming he’ll be ‘back soon’. He was also spotted at Stamford Bridge during the Luton match sat alongside Todd Boehly, John Terry and Romeo Lavia.
There is growing expectation that the right-back will be back after the September international break, but it remains to be seen if that will be the case.
What James said: “Back to it soon.”
What Pochettino has said: “It’s a hamstring – it’s not a few days, a few weeks maybe. I think it’s a sad moment because he’s our captain, he was so excited to be the captain, full of energy. We are going to assess him day by day. He is going to come back stronger than he was.”
Expected return date: N/A
Levi Colwill
Following the defeat to Nottingham Forest, concerns emerged that Levi Colwill had suffered an injury to his hamstring. football.london understands that the defender was given the all-clear to team up with England ahead of a potential senior debut against Ukraine on Saturday in Poland.
Colwill sat out of England’s training session on Tuesday but it was nothing to do with an injury problem, sources have confirmed to football.london. Instead, it is to focus on his workload, having played every game of the season so far for Chelsea.
Expected return date: Available.
Armando Broja
Armando Broja hasn’t been seen in a Blues shirt since last December following his ACL injury against Aston Villa in a friendly. But over the last week has been back in training with the senior squad and is set to return to battle with Nicolas Jackson for the starting spot.
What Pochettino has said: “We need to wait also. He’s close but sometimes you are close but the last step is difficult after the injury he suffered. He has trained well, we have hope also.
“That is why we are assessing the squad and all of the things that happen. It is easy to say we need another offensive player, but I think we have offensive players and they need to recover.
If you bring in a player that is not fit or needs to adapt to the Premier League, maybe you are going to spend the same time you wait for Broja, or Nkunku or Carney. Then you are going to create a mess in the squad. That is why we are working really hard to analyse the situation.”
Expected return date: Bournemouth (A) – September 17
Trevoh Chalobah
Trevoh Chalobah is yet to make an appearance this season and was expected to depart during the transfer window as well. The defender has been struggling with fitness since pre-season.
During Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States, he went often down twice during matches and had to be taken off on both occasions. He also hasn’t been seen in training since and no update has since been given other than the club’s weekly general statement.
What the club have said: “Continuing to undergo his rehabilitation programme.”
Expected return date: Bournemouth (A) – September 17
Carney Chukwuemeka
The Blues midfielder was the only goalscorer in the side’s 3-1 loss to West Ham, but a serious knee injury just before half-time saw him leave the London Stadium on crutches.
football.london understands that Chukwuemeka is expected to be out for a possible six weeks but due to the international breaks coming up, he might only miss five or six games before making a swift return.
What the club has said: “I think it is not an issue that will take months, maybe weeks. I hope we can be as soon as possible with the team again. He scored and then he got injured. Things happen that you cannot manage.
“A little bit unlucky but I think he can become stronger because he feeling the way he needs to work and compete, he is young and for sure he will be much better when we start again.”
Expected return date: October
Christopher Nkunku
Nkunku has been sidelined since being substituted against Borussia Dortmund in the club’s final pre-season game. A major blow to the Blues’ squad after arriving for over £60million in the summer, Pochettino admitted he’d be sorely missed in the first half of the season.
What Pochettino has said: “We feel very sorry about him. He was doing well, he was very important player for us. I think the quality is there, one of the best offensive players that can play in different positions always is a big issue for us. Now it’s about not thinking too much about the injuries and being positive about when he can be again with us and recover as soon as possible in a good way.
“We are working in the market also, we are going to miss one player like this. The club is working, trying to find a solution, maybe short term, medium and long term to add the right profile for the team to perform for now.”
What Nkunku has said: “As you can imagine, I’m so disappointed not to be able to be with my team-mates during the start of the season. It’s hard not to have been able to meet you guys at the Bridge. I will work hard to come back stronger. It’s only a matter of time.”
Expected return date: January 2024
Wesley Fofana
Fofana is set for another significant spell on the sidelines after rupturing his ACL.
What Pochettino has said: “Really sad, really bad news. We feel so sad. We can only help him and to be again with the team we know it is tough. We need to help him and wish him all the best. We need to keep going, the competition is there. The competition doesn’t wait for anyone and we need to be ready.
“I hope yes. You have all of the information that this is difficult. He is evolving in a different way but hopefully his recovery goes very well.”
Expected return date: Spring 2024
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