by Mauricio Pochettino will be hopeful he can welcome back some players before facing Everton on Monday night.
The Blues will host Sean Dyche’s side on the back of a 2-2 draw at Sheffield United. Thiago Silva scored the opening goal before Jayden Bogle equalised.
Noni Madueke thought he had won all three points for his side, except that Olie McBurnie managed to rescue a point deep in stoppage time. Cole Palmer had to be taken off after taking a heavy hit from strong tackles.
After playing a lot of football in recent weeks, he is in danger of burning out. Malo Gusto also missed the game after two weeks of training and illness. Pochettino will be looking to get both back for Everton’s visit.
With that said, football.london the latest from Chelsea’s treatment room:
Back Palmer
Cole Palmer was withdrawn in the second half of the Blues’ game against Sheffield United at the weekend. Not long before that he was getting a poor tackle.
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Injury: Tiredness.
What Pochettino said: “No, no. I think he was tired. My feeling was that he was tired. 2-1 for us, Carney is No. .
“We have to protect him. He got a knock against Manchester United and was a bit more tired than usual, but we wanted to protect him after scoring the second goal. Trying to avoid a problem for the future .”
Possible return date: Everton (H) – 15 April.
Malo Gusto
Malo Gusto was rested for the Sheffield United clash. He is expected to return against Everton on Monday.
Injury: Illness.
What Pochettino said: “Malo has to rest. He was sick before playing two games, so he has to rest.”
Possible return date: Everton (H) – 15 April.
Ben Chilwell
Ben Chilwell was absent from the match teams that faced Manchester United and Sheffield United. He knocked out the international break before suffering from illness shortly before returning from the treatment room.
Injury: Illness.
What Pochettino said: “He’s not training yet, Chilly. We’ll see tomorrow [Friday] if it is involved. For sure, we hope he can be for the next game.”
Possible return date: Everton (H) – 15 April.
Christopher Nkunku
Injury: Hamstring.
Nkunku has struggled with injuries for most of the season and is currently out with a hamstring issue. He hasn’t played in over two months.
What Pochettino said: “I do not know [how far away he is]. Still we don’t know [if he will play again this season]. To return to training? I don’t know what I said. At the moment we do not know when it is possible to start training with the team. At the moment he is not training with us.
“That return didn’t happen. I don’t have any information about that. He’s recovering and it’s been longer than expected. That was after the final, he played 30 or 40 minutes. The problem we did not know and we found out. after the game.
“This type of circumstance, it affects a lot of things, too many players have suffered this season. I hope that he can rejoin as soon as possible with the dynamics of the team and of course, if he should be really good before the end of the season, hopefully he can be part of the team.”
Possible return date: Unknown.
Levi Colwill
Injury: toe
Levi Colwill has been suffering from a toe problem recently. The defender is still not back in training after missing the last four games.
What Pochettino said: “We only found out after the [Brentford] game. We ended up with two players who couldn’t train there. Levi’s problem is his toe.”
Possible return date: Unknown.
Romeo Lavia
Injury: House.
Chelsea have confirmed that Romeo Lavia will not play again this season. The midfielder has made just one appearance – half an hour off the bench against Crystal Palace in December – since joining from Southampton in the summer.
“Midfielder Romeo Lavia is unfortunately set to miss the remainder of our 2023-24 campaign after suffering a setback in his recovery,” an official statement from the club said. “Recent medical assessments have confirmed that Lavia, who picked up a significant thigh injury against Crystal Palace back in December, will not feature again this season.”
Taking to Instagram, Lavia confirmed that he was back. He wrote: “Hello Chelsea family. As you may know and despite my countless efforts, I will be missing the rest of the season. This has been a frustrating season for me, not being able to help my teammates .
“I love this squad, this badge and being on the pitch more than anything. Trust that I gave my all every day to get back. Don’t wait to give back and a lot share special moments together [blue heart emoji] I’ll see you soon.”
Possible return date: Next season.
Reece James
Reece James recently began his rehabilitation following hamstring surgery at the end of last year. He is working on his way back to match fitness, but the club will not rush him back into action due to the nature of the injuries he had.
Injury: Hamstring.
What Pochettino said: “We were talking and he has started to recover, one day closer to being with the group. This is very positive and we are all positive around him, we are going to help.
“It is tough for a player with a very complex and difficult season for him. Now the process of recovery begins and it is one day less until he is part of the group. The most important thing is to start to solve the problem and help him Be strong.”
Possible return date: April.
Leslie Ugochukwu
Injury: Hamstring.
Lesley Ugochukwu has been out of action for some time now. The midfielder’s last outing was back in December and he hasn’t been seen since without further updates.
Possible return date: Next season.
Wesley Fofana
Injury: Generation.
Wesley Fofana is back on the pitch at Cobham but is thought to be a long way from recovering from his ACL tear. He is not expected to play this season.
What Pochettino said: “Unfortunately, I think it’s difficult to see Wes play this season, but you never know.”
Possible return date: Next season.
