Chelsea injury news as Christopher Nkunku continues to wait for his return to action, with Mauricio Pochettino giving a new update on the attacker’s potential return to fitness.
Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t getting the hopes up too much of Christopher Nkunku playing for Chelsea on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who continues to train with his teammates on the grass at Cobham, is itching to feature though.
“Still assessing day by day, see tomorrow,” the manager said ahead of the trip to Everton. “I don’t believe that he will be involved but we need to assess day by day.
Given that Nkunku was also assessed in the build-up to Newcastle, Brighton and Manchester United there is an understandable doubt that he will be in the squad that travels to Goodison Park. By this stage many had thought he would have at least made the bench.
The former Tottenham boss, who is now under immense pressure to get a positive result in Merseyside after following up a spirited victory against Brighton with one of the worst displays of the season at Manchester United, had previously said he hoped for Nkunku to return shortly after the November international break.
That was almost a month ago now and Chelsea are now edging closer and closer to 2024 without seeing their most anticipated star in action. Alongside Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka and Romeo Lavia there is already a large enough group that may well not be ready until the New Year.
However, Nkunku’s pre-season knee injury had an initial four month timeframe which would give him a fighting chance of a festive welcome to English football. With a poor recent record of long-term fitness troubles the club have not bowed into the pressure or bringing him back too early though.
Now Nkunku is on the brink of appearing but still remains just out of reach it seems. The only saving grace is perhaps that the games do come tick and fast so it might not be too much longer before he is selected if not at Everton.
Chelsea face Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge next Saturday, a kinder fixture for a potential debut, even from the bench. That is maybe more likely and comes just three days before a Carabao Cup meeting with Newcastle.
Although the Magpies would love to go deep into the competition again – they were last years’ beaten finalists – they are also balancing Champions League commitments with a long injury list and the demands of top four/five expectations too. This could leave this fixture as another chance for the 26-year-old to play if he hasn’t already.
Following that there is the Christmas Eve game against Wolves, a home meeting with Crystal Palace and the trip to Kenilworth Road to look forward to before the end of the year as well. If Nkunku hasn’t come back by then then serious alarm bells will be ringing.
In the New Year Chelsea do have a generous FA Cup third round tie with Preston North End at Stamford Bridge too if it is to be 2024 when Nkunku makes a competitive return to football. The hope will certainly be that things are on the go by then though, especially with a run of games much more winnable on paper than the set the Blues just navigated through
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