Latest Chelsea Injury News And Expected Return Dates: Updates On Thiago Silva, Reece James And 7 Others
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is facing a race against time to be fit for the Carabao Cup final this weekend.
The Brazilian international picked up a groin problem against Crystal Palace and missed the 1-1 draw versus Manchester City on Saturday evening.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino did, however, say that Silva’s injury was “minor”, suggesting the centre-back could make his comeback soon.
Robert Sanchez is back in full training after recovering from a knee injury that has kept him on the sidelines since early December. The Spanish international did not make the bench for the City game but he should be ready for the trip to Wembley.
Expected Return Date – Sunday 25th February v Liverpool (Carabao Cup final)
Carney Chukwuemeka twisted his ankle in training last week so, like Silva, the midfielder will have to prove his fitness if he wants to be in the squad on Sunday.
A more realistic return date, though, is the FA Cup fifth-round tie versus Leeds or the subsequent league fixture against Brentford.
Marc Cucurella could return to training soon following ankle surgery and there is an expectation that the defender may be in contention to start matches again at the beginning of next month.
Expected Return Date – Saturday 2nd March v Brentford
Benoit Badiashile picked up a groin issue during the 3-1 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth-round replay.
The defender was estimated to be out for up to a month so the Newcastle fixture is the likeliest match for his comeback.
Romeo Lavia is not expected to be back in contention before mid-March, as he continues his rehabilitation from a thigh injury.
Pochettino has already said it would be “impossible” for the Belgian to make it back for the Carabao Cup. The midfielder picked up his latest injury on his debut during the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace almost two months ago.
Reece James is back in light training. The captain had surgery on a hamstring tear in December and he was set to be out for 4 months.
However, the fullback is making a quicker-than-expected recovery and he could start full training at some point in March.
Expected Return Date – Monday 11th March v Newcastle
Lesley Ugochukwu has been sidelined for almost two months with a hamstring injury. It was initially estimated that the 19-year-old would only be out for a few weeks.
However, the midfielder has been unavailable for much longer than that, having last played on Christmas Eve against Wolves
Wesley Fofana is continuing his recovery from an ACL injury he sustained in pre-season.
The Frenchman is said to be closing in on the final stages of his rehab but he hasn’t returned to training yet.