The Blues were hit with a string of injuries before the World Cup break.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter has offered fitness updates on N’Golo Kante, Wesley Fofana, and Reece James.
James missed out on the World Cup after suffering a knee injury shortly before the tournament. However, he has regained full fitness ahead of Chelsea’s return to competitive action next week.
The situation for Fofana, who is also out with a knee issue, is different. The Frenchman has suffered a setback in his recovery process, which might delay his return.
“Wesley had a little setback, which can happen. It’s a couple of weeks, he won’t be available for the game,” Potter said.
“Reece is back in, he’s been training and completed 65 minutes in the week [in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford].
“We’re still without Ruben [Loftus-Cheek], Ben Chilwell and Kante.”
Kante hasn’t played for Chelsea since picking up an injury in August. The midfielder’s situation has led to reports claiming that Chelsea might decide against extending his contract when it expires next summer.
Speaking about Kante, Potter said: “He’ll be a while, he’ll be [back at] the end of February or the start of March.
“It’s due to the surgery, the minimum period was four months.”
He added: “My focus is just to help him get back fit as soon as possible.
“Everyone knows the quality he has, so it’s just about helping him get on the pitch, helping him to get fit, and I’m looking forward to seeing him play football, as we haven’t seen him.”
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